Siblings reject Olatoso as Celestial Church’s new leader
The siblings, who are apparently loyal to the embattled leader of the church, Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, said Olatoso, who is the 20th child of the founder, was neither a consensus candidate nor consecrated for the office.
Last week Monday in Lagos, Olatoso was presented as the new spiritual head of the church, to replace his elder brother, Emmanuel Mobiyina, who was ordered to vacate the seat by an Ilaro High Court, Ogun State in March 2015. Olatoso, 46, claimed that his candidacy was by divine revelation and already endorsed by the Oshoffa family.
But in a reaction at the Family House in Lagos, the family, made up of three wives of the late founder, nine children and some grandchildren, said Olatoso’s emergence was an act of rebellion orchestrated by some self-serving elders in the church.
The second child of the founder and spokesman of the Oshoffa dynasty, Ebenezer, told reporters that Olatoso’s “self-proclamation” was “a fallacy.” He said an appeal has been filed against the court order that removed Emmanuel and it is billed for hearing soon.
Ebenezer, who is in his 60s, said the Oshoffa family had always avoided interfering in the affairs of the church, but it had become imperative and a matter of urgency for them to speak out as a family. According to him, the recent twist in the leadership tussle in the church was unfortunately and personal to them “because our son and brother, Senior Evangelist Olatoso Oshoffa, is involved.” He noted that though the genesis of the problem was not unconnected with the court judgment, the crisis has been grossly mismanaged.
Allotting blames, Ebenezer said: ”Some unscrupulous, self-centred elders of the church who found an avenue for vendetta installed Olatoso Oshoffa with a lot of unwarranted and untrue fallacies.
“It should be known that the family did the best it could to stop recent happenings. We held meetings and our purpose was for peace and stability of the church.
The final meeting was held at the Oba of Imeko’s palace and the decision was an indivisible church and Oshoffa family. Olatoso was, amongst other things, asked to retrace his steps as rebellion is an act against men and God,” he said.
According to Ebenezer, Olatoso remains a bonafide member of the family that is calling on him to return as “a prodigal son.”
The spokesman declared that the family did not give their support to Olatoso’s leadership bid. ”Our loyalty remains with Rev. Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa. No one can infiltrate and disrupt the peace our father sacrificed so much for. Our dream of a unified CCC, the heritage of our late father, Rev. Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa, who is to us a hero, supersedes any other ambition of any individual,” he said.
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