From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Senior pastor of the Fountain of Truth Assembly (FOTA), Rev Yomi Kasali, has cleared his name with regards to the news in the public space that he contested in the just conducted election of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to elect the new state chairman for the Fellowship.
“In response to an online publication about the just concluded PFN election for Lagos State, and emergence of a gentle man called Reverend Toyin Kehinde as the state chairman for PFN Lagos state. That publication that I saw online states that I participated in that election that took place on Monday February 5, 2024,” Kasali said during a press conference held on Wednesday February 27, 2024.
Kasali said that he needed to states the fact concerning the purported election as reported by the online platform, which according to him is now in the public domain.
“This press conference is just to state the facts that I Reverend Yomi Kasali did not participate in that election. I did not want to participate in that election as the online publication stated. My picture was on the online publication that I participated in the elections, and also perhaps that my name was on the ballot.
He disclosed that he had earlier declined the invitation to participate in the election and would not understand why his name would still be on the ballot thereafter. “So, this is just to state the fact that I did not go to the place. I was not there.
“My name was on the ballot in an error or mischievously. Even though I chose the latter: mischievously. The reason I said I chose latter that my name was on the ballot mysteriously, is because of what transpired between the Monday 29th of January, and the Monday 5th of February,” Kasali said.
Narrating what transpired prior to the election, Kasali said that John Osa-Oni, the national vice president of the PFN called him a week before the election to inquire about his interest and availability to serve as the chairman of the Fellowship in Lagos State.
“On Monday, the 29th of January, I got a call from the southwest vice president of PFN Archbishop John Osa-Oni. A man I refer so much; a man I have a very personal relationship with. I got a call from him that if I was available to attend a meeting of the PFN on Monday the 5th, and I asked him what for.
“He said it was for an election – that my name has been nominated to be the chairman of Lagos state in Lagos and that he would like me to come and participate in an election process on that day, which was two days ago. And that two of us were outsiders, and two people were insiders. I asked further; he said there are four people (two of us are outsiders and two people are insiders), and I took offense in the word outsider. And I told him right there that that is prejudicial to as a vice president to term two people coming in as outsiders presupposes that you would not want outsiders to be part of what was going on inside,” Kasali said.
Kasali disclosed that he was not pleased for being referred to as an ‘outsider’ within the Lagos PFN, and wanted a better explanation from the national vice president of the Fellowship. According to him, he asked Osa-Oni; “I mean, except you have a better definition or interpretation of the term outsider.
“So, I took an offense and I told him right there. I do not like the term outsider, because I’m not an outsider,” Kasali said.
According to Kasali, elections were not done to appoint candidate for the Lagos chairman of the Fellowship, rather it was based on wide consultations with the stakeholders. He disclosed that the stakeholders are usually church leaders in the state who are regarded as ‘fathers of faith’ that kept the culture and honour of the PFN.
“The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria is a strong family. So we would not elect one of our own we would rather not select obviously, but consult widely and on consensus the fathers would say, look, let’s give this young man a chance,” Kasali said.
Earlier in the week, an online platform had published a story stating that the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Lagos State, has finally elected a new state chairman and executive council, after a long time waiting.
The platform published thus: “It was learnt that in a keenly contested election decided by the State Advisory Council (SAC), the new state chairman, Rev Dr Toyin Kehinde won with an overwhelming majority.
“Other candidates in the keenly contested election were, Pastor Femi Paul, Rev Yomi Kasali and the former chairman, Apostle Enyinnanya Okwuonu.
It was also learnt that the former chairman, Apostle Okwuonu, has congratulated the new state chairman.
“It will be recalled that Apostle Okwuonu took over the mantle of leadership in the Lagos Chapter following the demise of Bishop Olusola Ore”.
