The group in statement signed by its National President, Apostle (Prof.) Jesulere James which was made available to SaharaReporters on Monday, accused the National President of PFN, Bishop Wale Oke, of imposing Okwuonu on the body despite serving out his eight years of tenure.
The Pentecostal Association of Nigeria and Diaspora (PAND) has raised the alarm about a brewing leadership crisis in the Lagos State Chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), following the refusal of outgoing Chairman, Apostle Enyinnaya Okwuonu to hand over after the completion of his tenure.
The group in statement signed by its National President, Apostle (Prof.) Jesulere James which was made available to SaharaReporters on Monday, accused the National President of PFN, Bishop Wale Oke, of imposing Okwuonu on the body despite serving out his eight years of tenure.
James claimed that Apostle Okwuonu, had vowed not to leave office after the end of the eight-year tenure "saying the Igbos still need him". He added that the media release was to put PFN on notice of the happenings and crisis of unimaginable dimension brewing at the once united and vibrant Lagos State Branch of the Fellowship.
He alleged that "some national PFN Igbo leaders led by a top and influential Igbo Archbishop in Lagos, who is a former national president, a top Igbo in the national executive and others are holding the National President, Wale Oke, “hostage.”
"We have it on good authority that the PFN national president, Bishop Wale Oke, was compelled by these leaders to extend Okwuonu’s tenure, and he has truly extended it three times since July 2022, when the tenue officially and constitutionally ended, using “executive orders” unilaterally and unconstitutionally. Now, he’s planning another fresh term for Okwuonu. Who does that.
"Bishop Wale Oke is doing all things possible and impossible to ensure that Okwuonu is imposed on the Yorubas in Lagos State. Apostle Okwuonu has boasted to some people that nobody can remove him or else Lagos will burn."
The statement added, "We are putting the security agencies in Lagos State on notice too."
The group alleged that "Some Igbo leaders vowed that they would no longer allow the Yorubas to head the fellowship or take up any important positions again in the fellowship.
"Apostle Okwuonu and his cabal have politicised the fellowship and many Lagosians and indigenous pastors have been slated for removal or relegation if Okwuonu gets another fresh “third” term for his administration.
"Apostle Okwuonu is spending and diverting hundreds of millions of naira of the fellowship funds meant for the renovation of the State Secretariat to clear his way for “cash-and-carry” extension of tenure, sponsor Igbo and ‘Obidient movements’ complete take-over of PFN leadership across Lagos State and to build his house in the village, which he started after becoming the State Chairman of PFN.
"PAND is waiting for them to take this wrong step of imposition before we invite EFCC and relevant authorities into the matter. Renovation work at the State PFN Secretariat which started in 2020 has since stopped with nothing to show for the huge millions of naira raised for the renovation.
"For financial, political and ethnic reasons, Okwuonu is being allowed to illegally continue in office to complete the appointments of Igbos and obidients across PFN provinces and chapters’ central working committee and executive councils.
"Their targets are the 2025 local government chairmanship elections in the state and the 2027 national general elections to perpetuate their “Lagos is a no-man’s land” mantra for Igbos in Lagos.
"They have vowed that 2023 Presidential elections, which saw strong obidient movement showing, will be a child’s play to what they are planning for Lagos at the coming 2025 local government and 2027 national elections.
"The level of illegality, unrighteousness and daylight robbery being perpetuated by these leaders are not even found among politicians and unbelievers.
“Aggrieved indigenes and Lagosians are unified with one voice to demand that the national leadership of PFN should be sensitive to their yearnings to be relevant on their own God-given land and should not treat Lagos differently from other South West or PFN Zonal States in the country.
"Psalms 89:14 – “Righteousness and justice are the foundations of Your throne. Mercy and truth stand in front of You," the statement reads.