Allegations of compromise, partiality and internal sabotage have engulfed Nigeria’s two leading Christian bodies — the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) following the dramatic cancellation of a proposed one-million-man crusade in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
At the centre of the controversy is Reverend Yinka Yusuf, lead pastor of the Lagos-based Household of Love Churches, who accused CAN and PFN of frustrating his evangelistic programme despite what he described as heavy financial and logistical investments.
Yusuf said he was forced to cancel the Uyo One Million Crusade, scheduled for February 9 to 15, after the two Christian bodies allegedly pressured the Akwa Ibom State Government to withdraw approval for the use of Ibom Hall — a venue he claimed he had already paid for.
Announcing the cancellation in a Facebook post on Friday, the cleric apologised to about 5,000 evangelists he said were already travelling to Nigeria from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and Namibia.
He alleged that CAN and PFN insisted he reschedule his seven-day programme to accommodate another crusade featuring a Kenyan cleric, even though, according to him, the two events were not fixed for the same dates.
Yusuf further claimed that the Akwa Ibom State Government formally withdrew approval for the venue through a letter dated January 27, citing security concerns and the prevailing security situation in the state. The letter was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Akwa Ibom Property and Investments Company Limited, Patrick Udomfang.
Accusing the government of yielding to pressure from CAN and PFN, Yusuf wrote:
We have come to the end of the road for Uyo. The government, PFN, and CAN have insisted that I must reschedule our crusade to accommodate the Kenyan government, PFN, and CAN crusade by moving it forward by one week.
We have decided to act according to the word of God and move to the next city. We have spent over N43m on this crusade project, moving our trucks and trailers to Uyo and conducting mass publicity with numerous billboards around the city.
We apologise to the 5,000 evangelists we invited to Uyo from around the world; many have already purchased their tickets from America, the UK, South Africa, Australia, Namibia, among others. We are called to win souls and not to have conflicts with anyone. Therefore, we are withdrawing our trucks and trailers back to Lagos.
Yusuf questioned why security concerns were raised over his programme when other large-scale crusades were ongoing in Uyo, including one being conducted by the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi.
Describing the development as unfair, he accused CAN and PFN leaders in Uyo of working against evangelistic ministries, insisting that his mission was not to plant a church in the state but to win converts for existing churches.
While maintaining respect for both Christian bodies, Yusuf declared that no organisation would stop him from preaching the gospel, adding, I will do this till I die.
Efforts to get Yusuf to further substantiate his claims were unsuccessful, as an official of his church said the cleric would not speak further on the matter.
Clash of Crusades
While Yusuf’s crusade was billed for February 9 to 15, the Kenyan cleric, Prophet David Owuor, is scheduled to hold his programme from February 13 to 15. The two events overlap for three days.
Although planned for different venues, Owuor is expected to use Ibom Hall on the final day of his crusade.
Owuor, founder of the Ministry of Repentance and Holiness in Kenya, has faced multiple allegations in the past, ranging from controversial healing claims to financial exploitation. He has been accused of claiming to heal HIV/AIDS, cancer and even raise the dead.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya had previously condemned miracle claims attributed to him, warning the public against unverified assertions of supernatural cures.
In 2019, the family of a former follower, Jane Njagi, accused him of coercing her into relinquishing property worth millions of shillings, prompting a police investigation into alleged property fraud. In 2025, Owuor distanced himself from viral claims suggesting he had prophesied that the world would end on August 2, 2025.
Organisers of Owuor’s Nigerian crusade, the Nigeria Christian Revival Forum, declined comment.
CAN and PFN
Attempts to reach CAN’s national leadership were unsuccessful. The National President, Rev. Daniel Okoh, did not respond to calls or messages. The National Director of National Issues and Social Welfare, Abimbola Ayuba, said he was unaware of the matter and later stopped responding to questions.
The Secretary of CAN in Akwa Ibom State, Rev. Isang Eyoumoh, also declined comment, saying, I’m not permitted to speak to the press on that issue. My chairman has not permitted me to speak on the matter.
PFN’s national leadership, however, promised to investigate. The National Secretary, Bishop David Bakare, said he was unaware of the planned crusade or any attempt to stop it.
According to him, if any issue existed, it was likely at the local level and had not been brought to the attention of the national body. He insisted that PFN does not block crusades.
Bakare said:
If he (Yusuf) has any challenges with PFN, he should approach us and let us resolve them… PFN does not stop people from doing crusades. PFN encourages crusades. Anything that has to do with winning souls, Pentecostals will always be at the forefront of it.
We have collaborated with several people on such meetings before. Even with Rev. Yinka Yusuf, there was a lot of collaboration back in Kaduna that I am aware of… and they were very successful.
He suggested the controversy might have arisen from misunderstanding, misreporting or actions by individuals at the grassroots.
Fresh Firestorm: PFN Should Be Proscribed
Reacting to the controversy, the President of the Word Assembly Ministries, Rev. Isaac Omolehin, accused CAN and PFN of undermining Christianity in Nigeria.
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Omolehin claimed he had personally suffered similar treatment, alleging that PFN blocked and banned him from preaching in churches within and outside Nigeria.
He said:
I have been a victim of that; PFN blocked and banned me from preaching… Joshua Iginla in Abuja also suffered the same fate. Osayi Arome in Makurdi was also a victim. They forced him out of Nigeria; he is now based in Minnesota.
Omolehin described the situation as a conspiracy against the Nigerian church, arguing that while churches face external threats, internal persecution by Christian organisations was worsening the crisis.
He accused PFN of irresponsibility and moral failure, claiming it had presided over conduct that damaged the credibility of Christianity.
Calling for the fellowship’s dissolution, Omolehin said he planned to assemble lawyers to review PFN’s founding documents with a view to petitioning the Corporate Affairs Commission.
I think PFN should be proscribed… PFN is no longer relevant, but CAN can remain in operation because the composition of CAN is largely elderly people, he said.
Akwa Ibom Govt Fires Back
The Akwa Ibom State Government, however, rejected Yusuf’s claims, accusing him of hate speech and disregard for due process.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, the government said its decision was based not on security concerns but on vile, inflammatory, and insulting remarks allegedly made by Yusuf in a viral video.
According to the government, the comments stereotyped and insulted the people of the state and were considered a direct affront to the dignity of its estimated 7.9 million residents.
The statement said:
Hate speech is not evangelism, and insults are not a substitute for doctrine. We do not, and will never, expect any Akwa Ibomite to be a member of a church, ministry, or crusade built on contempt for their identity.
The government contrasted Yusuf’s conduct with that of Pastor Kumuyi, noting that the Deeper Life leader formally notified the state and paid a courtesy visit to Governor Umo Eno before his crusade.
It accused Yusuf of failing to engage relevant agencies, consult CAN and PFN in the state, and making unverifiable claims about 5,000 foreign participants.
Accordingly, the Akwa Ibom State Government states clearly, without any equivocation that we do not welcome Pastor Yinka Yusuf’s suspicious crusade in the state due to his denigrating actions, defamatory utterances, and open disrespect for the people, values, and lawful authority of the state.
The government demanded a public apology from the cleric, warning that failure to do so could result in legal action.
