Abisola Adigun, Author at Tribune Online

An elder in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of David Parish, Quincy Ayodele, has revealed the circumstances surrounding the expulsion of the former Pastor-in-charge of the parish, Idowu Iluyomade, stating that he was barred from returning to the church. Ayodele, in a chat with Daddy Freeze on his YouTube channel on Monday, expressed her shock and disappointment at the church’s decision to prevent Iluyomade from stepping into the church premises after his suspension. She noted that she had accompanied him to the RCCG headquarters in Ebute Meta throughout the period of his punishment. She said, “We were expecting that after the three months he would be restored to the City of David. But to our surprise, what we heard was that he was given a letter that he must not step into the City of David.” The World Health Organisation consultant also expressed concern over the church's action, noting the close relationship between Iluyomade and RCCG’s General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye. “Pastor Adeboye and Pastor Iluyomade were like father and son. They are so close. There is nothing Adeboye wanted that Iluyomade would not go out of his way to make available,” she stated. Ayodele emphasised that Iluyomade did not rebel against the church and questioned why he was barred. She said, “He was told not to enter City of David. Why they did that is only known to our daddy, the governing council, and God. I cannot answer why. But we are curious.” ALSO READ: Suspended RCCG pastor, Iluyomade, starts new ministry Ayodele revealed that several elders in the church wrote letters of appeal to Pastor Adeboye, urging him to reconsider the decision, but they received no response. “They wrote letters and signed their names on the letters to Pastor Adeboye. But there was no response from Baba Adeboye,” she added. Following the rejection, Ayodele disclosed that Iluyomade and his wife resorted to attending Kings Court, another RCCG parish he had pioneered years ago. However, their presence there was also not welcomed. “The pastor in the church welcomed them and accorded them the honour of the founding pastors, only to be told later that they should not be accommodated,” she revealed. She recalled the teachings of Pastor Adeboye on compassion and redemption, questioning why Iluyomade was being treated differently. “Pastor Adeboye taught us that if one sheep is missing out of 100, Jesus would go after the lost sheep. I was now asking, will he now allow Iluyomade to be lost to the world?” she asked. Having been a member of RCCG for over 32 years, Ayodele disclosed that she took it upon herself to encourage Iluyomade to return to the church. She also refuted claims that the late former CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, was the largest contributor to the construction of Trinity Towers, a project spearheaded by Iluyomade. “Many people contributed to the building of the tower, and some gave as much as Wigwe gave,” she said, adding that numerous church members were as dedicated to the project as the late banker. Ayodele described Iluyomade as a man who greatly contributed to RCCG and Pastor Adeboye, citing his charity works, including free schools, feeding the less privileged weekly, and utilizing church funds to impact society positively. She also revealed that prominent Nigerians were contacted to plead with Pastor Adeboye to reconsider his stance on Iluyomade, but their efforts were futile. “They went to beg him, and he said he (Iluyomade) was paying a loan. But he has been paying loans without coming to ask for money from you. So, why don’t you leave him and let him finish paying the loan? “He said it’s okay; he will let him come back. He did not. Other people went to beg him, rolling on the floor and asking for his forgiveness. He did not,” she stated. When asked if the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) intervened, Ayodele responded, “Who will talk to him if God has not talked to him? My daddy hears from God. It is what God says that he tells us, and we believe him. He will say ‘my daddy says’ and we believe him.” Ayodele clarified that Iluyomade never intended to establish his own church, stating that those he had helped during his tenure abandoned him when he needed them most. “He does not even know how to start a church. He was an Anglican before he joined RCCG. His father was a reverend. He had left Anglican for almost 32 years. If he goes back to Anglican, where is he going to start from? “I can tell you that the people they helped abandoned them in their moment of trials. They were not even praying for him in the City of David that he left. "That was what made me go to him. When I got to him, he was weeping, telling me that he was told not to step into the church,” she revealed. Ayodele said she was deeply moved when Pastor Adeboye, during a recent visit to the City of David, suggested that those who left the church were akin to demons and that devils built Trinity Towers. She said, “I started wondering if this is my daddy talking. What is going on?” Despite her concerns, Ayodele stated that she did not follow Iluyomade to his new church because she believed the matter could still be resolved. She expressed her hope of personally meeting Pastor Adeboye to plead for Iluyomade’s reinstatement. “If I had the grace of meeting Pastor Adeboye, I would beg him frantically and appeal to him to forgive Iluyomade,” she concluded. NIGERIAN TRIBUNE