Allegations of bias and interference have thrown the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) into a heated dispute with Reverend Yinka Yusuf, a Lagos-based pastor, after the abrupt cancellation of his highly-publicised “Uyo One Million Crusade.”
Yusuf, lead pastor of Household of Love Churches, said he was forced to scrap the February-scheduled crusade in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, despite spending millions of naira on logistics and moving equipment to the planned venue.
In a post on Facebook announcing the cancellation, the cleric said it was “regrettable” that the seven-day event, slated for February 9 to 15, would no longer proceed as planned.
He alleged that both CAN and PFN “insisted I reschedule our crusade to accommodate the Kenyan government, PFN, and CAN crusade by moving it forward by one week,” even though the other event didn’t clash with his original dates.
“We have come to the end of the road for Uyo,” Yusuf wrote, adding that his team had spent “over N43m on this crusade project, moving our trucks and trailers to Uyo and conducting mass publicity with numerous billboards around the city.”
He apologised to the 5,000 evangelists he said were travelling to Nigeria from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and Namibia, clarifying: “We are called to win souls and not to have conflicts with anyone. Therefore, we are withdrawing our trucks and trailers back to Lagos.”
Questioning the cancellation, Yusuf highlighted that the Akwa Ibom government had written to withdraw approval for the use of Ibom Hall, citing “security concerns” — a decision he accused CAN and PFN of influencing.
He argued it was unfair that security was cited for his crusade’s cancellation even as other major events — including a crusade by Pastor William Kumuyi — continued without incident.
While Yusuf stressed his respect for CAN and PFN as Christian bodies, he insisted no organisation would stop him from preaching the gospel. “I will do this till I die,” he declared.
CAN’s national leadership did not respond to requests for comment, and a state chapter official declined to speak without clearance. However, PFN’s national secretary said the matter would be investigated and that the fellowship did not block crusades, suggesting any issues might stem from local misunderstandings.
The row comes amid broader criticism of church leadership, with the President of the Word Assembly Ministries accusing both CAN and PFN of weakening Christianity in Nigeria through internal conflicts and exclusionary practices.
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State Government has challenged Yusuf’s account, accusing him of hate speech and derogatory remarks about the people of the state — a claim linked to his video accusing CAN and PFN — and demanding proof of his assertions.
