By Ayomide Otitoju
The Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Acts of Apostle Parish in Ketu, Alapere, Lagos State, has been embroiled in a leadership crisis following a controversial N5 million donation meant for church renovations. The situation escalated during last Sunday’s service when Muyiwa Oluponna, who claims to be the son of the church’s founder, interrupted the service to assert himself as the parish shepherd.
Oluponna reportedly seized the microphone from the acting shepherd, Adetayo Adetola, during his sermon. He declared that he had the exclusive right to preach on the second Sunday of every month and that he was the rightful leader of the parish. A viral video of the altercation showed Oluponna and several church members involved in a heated argument, leading to disorder in the service.
In response to the unrest, the CCC parish has been temporarily closed for 40 days to allow for conflict resolution. The church’s task force, led by Akinbode Adjovi, enforced the closure to prevent further violence.
Adetola explained that the disruption occurred after Oluponna, claiming to be a family member of the church’s founder, asserted that the N5 million donation was intended for his family rather than the church’s renovation efforts. He also demanded to be appointed the parish shepherd and to have exclusive rights to preach on the second Sunday of each month.
The parish shepherd, Emmanuel Iperepolu, accused Oluponna of previously threatening and confronting him and other church members over the donation. Iperepolu stated that Oluponna insisted the funds belonged to his family and that the church was their property. The matter has been reported to both the church’s leadership and the police.
CCC Head of Media and Publicity, Kayode Ajala, confirmed the temporary closure, citing safety concerns and the need to restore order. He emphasized that while the church is a house of worship, the escalating tensions made intervention necessary.
Oluponna, however, declined to comment on the connection between the donation and the crisis, stating that the issue was a private matter between his family and the church.
