A Lagos-based pastor has publicly accused Nigeria’s two most prominent Christian associations of orchestrating the abrupt cancellation of a large-scale international crusade, reigniting internal tensions within the country’s Christian community.
Reverend Yinka Yusuf, lead pastor of the Household of Love Churches, alleged that the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria forced him to cancel a planned “one-million-man crusade” in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He claimed to have invested millions of naira transporting equipment to the venue before the event was called off.
According to Yusuf, the two bodies pressured the Akwa Ibom State Government to withdraw its approval for the use of a venue he had already paid for. He publicly apologized to what he described as 5,000 evangelists who were reportedly traveling to Nigeria from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa.
However, in a sharp rebuttal, the Akwa Ibom State Government denied his version of events, labeling his statements as “hate speech.”
The government has since threatened legal action against Yusuf and demanded he provide proof of the invited international guests.
