PFN at 40: Unity on Paper, Chaos on Ground?

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2025 marks 40 years since the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) was born. A movement sparked by fervent prayers forged in intentional Christian Gospel revival and meant to be a united voice for Spirit‑filled believers across the nation.

For decades, PFN has stood tall, launching national prayer campaigns, shaping moral discourse, and representing the Pentecostal community in government circles. It’s a brand that carried an anointing of spiritual giants like Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, Archbishop Benson Idahosa of blessed memories and Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Pastor W. F Kumuyi, Bishop David Oyedepo, among others.

But the PFN story in Bayelsa has turned into a real‑life drama, and the script has not been pleasant, following the December 2, 2025 widely reported fraudulent electoral fraud allegedly supervised by a Calabar-based Archbishop Emmah Gospel Isong, the National Vice President (South South) region, a development that many have described as “a daylight” robbery and a big shame in the Holy Temple of Justice.

Eyewitness account has it that the unprecedented electoral fraud was observed by eight Notable revered Christian leaders, led by the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bayelsa State, Rev. Father. Joseph Opelema, in the company of the immediate past National President (South-South) and founding General Overseer of Royal House of Grace International Church, Apostle David Zilly Aggrey, HRH, Archbishop, Stephen Overy and Pastor, Engr. Dika Moses of the Greater Evangelism World Crusade Church.

Other observers included the Chaplain of Government House Yenagoa, Pastor David Eyallah, Senior Special Technical Adviser to Gov. Douye Diri on Religious Affairs, Pastor. Dr. Dotimi Amatare, the Delta State PFN Chairman, Pastor Willy Abos and Bishop Michael Amameiye, a global itinerant evangelist and founder of Amameiye Evangelic Outreach.

The outrage of the fraud and unethical Christian conduct, has created two warring camps, with over 400 aggrieved pastors forming a parallel PFN group, accusing Archbishop Isong of deliberately undermining the PFN Constitution to enable him and his cohorts manipulate the state council election against the will of PFN members to just to install an unpopular incumbent chairman, Pastor Eyedoude, despite the popular choice of Rev. Timiebi G Kiyaramo.

The aggrieved clergymen alleged that the unilateral disqualification of the Popular Candidate, Rev. Timiebi Kiyaramo by Archbishop Isong few minutes to voting, violated the PFN Constitution, describing the process as “a suspension of the Constitution”. They demanded an independent investigation into the matter to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the unprecedented electoral fraud in the house of God.

A source from Bayelsa Government House Yenagoa informed this reporter that Governor Douye Diri’s Special Adviser on Religion, Rev. Godspower Asengba facilitated alleged fraud by unilaterally changing the venue of the election to his own church, Overcomers Lamb Assembly to influence the outcome of the exercise in favour of the Pastor Eyedoude who also doubles as the Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Pilgrims Welfare Board.

A female pastor in Yenagoa who does not her name mentioned claimed that Rev. Asengba, unknown to the Gov. Diri, had been secretly working with a particular governorship hopeful in 2027, who allegedly bank rolled the PFN State Council election. The popular female pastor said the governorship hopeful had concluded plans to use the PFN platform to mobilize votes for him and Pastor Eyedoude was saddled with responsibility of mobilizing the Pentecostal Fellowship, come 2027 governorship poll in Bayelsa State.

Also, a senior government official told this reporter that Gov. Diri was not happy with the role played by his Special Adviser on Religion, Rev. Asengba and has cautioned him to remove his hands from the PFN election crisis.

“It is worrisome that the national leadership of PFN under Bishop Francis Wale Oke has remained silent on the election fraud while the 8-man PFN Election Observer Team is yet to make its report public as the over 400 aggrieved pastors have threatened legal action, should the national leadership attempts to inaugurate Pastor Eyedoude as state chairman,” an aggrieved Pastor said.

Critics of the PFN shameful conduct are of the view that the national president of PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke may be more focused on protecting his family than resolving the escalating Bayelsa PFN election crisis which was reportedly supervised by the national vice president, Archbishop Isong.

“PFN is a national symbol of Christian unity in the 36 states of the federation. Unfortunately, in Bayelsa State, the fellowship’s moral authority is seemingly eroded by the purported electoral fraud, culminating in the ongoing internal power struggles. The split in Bayelsa PFN is real, and the question hangs in the air: Can Bayelsa PFN still shine as “light in darkness”?

“PFN is both a success story of unity and a cautionary tale that even the strongest institutions can fracture under pressure. Whether the PFN in Bayelsa emerges stronger from this election crisis would depend on one thing: will it choose to uphold its Constitution or protect its power?

“We formally protested to Bishop Francis Wale Oke. We, the aggrieved pastors have demanded nullification of the fraudulent election, appointment of an interim committee to oversee a fair re‑run, investigation into the financial mismanagement under Pastor Eyedoude’s four‑year tenure.

“The situation has been allowed to escalate dramatically of the silence of the national leadership. As we speak, over 400 pastors have now joined a parallel PFN, threatening legal action and calling for Archbishop Isong’s removal. Bishop Oke is ignoring the crisis and prioritizing his family over the church’s integrity in Bayelsa State,” a senior clergyman who preferred not to be mentioned, lamented.

Meanwhile, as the internal dissent persists, some Christian leaders in the state are calling for the quick intervention of the national leadership, warning that PFN’s once‑strong national influence may be fading if such shameful conduct persists in the Holy Temple of Justice.

It would be recalled that the PFN, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025, had emerged as a “divine union” born from fervent prayers and a vision of spirit filled Christian leaders like Dr. Uma Ukpai and Archbishop Benson Idahosa, all of blessed memories with a genuine intention of positioning the Pentecostal body in Nigeria as a national force to foster unity, Christian ethics, and the preaching of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Since its founding in 1985, the PFN has united millions of Pentecostals, launched nationwide prayer movements, and has become a trusted partner of government from the federal to state and the third tier levels on moral issues.