Why the General Executive Council Must Vacate Anlugbua: A Constitutional, Moral, and Ecclesiastical Imperative
By Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola, General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Nigeria and Overseas
The question of the continued occupation of Anlugbua, Oba Akinyele, Basorun, Ibadan by the General Executive Council (GEC) of Christ Apostolic Church Nigeria and Overseas has reached a decisive moment. It is no longer a matter of internal administrative preference or organisational convenience. It is now a constitutional, historical, ecclesiastical, and moral issue that demands clarity, courage, and obedience to truth. The Church must confront this matter with the seriousness it deserves, for the integrity of our corporate identity and the sanctity of our founding heritage are at stake. The conclusion is clear and unavoidable: the GEC must vacate the Anlugbua property.
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This position is not driven by sentiment or factional rivalry. It is anchored in the incontrovertible facts of CAC’s legal foundation, the subsisting judicial pronouncements governing its operations, and the sacred duty to honour the legacy of our founding fathers. The integrity of CAC’s corporate existence demands that we uphold what is lawful, what is true, and what is just.
The Land at Anlugbua Was Gifted to CAC Under the Supreme Council — Not to the GEC
The Anlugbua property carries a heritage that predates the emergence of the GEC. It was graciously gifted by Baba Oba I. B. Akinyele, the President of CAC Nigeria and Overseas, to the Church under the leadership of the Supreme Council, the only body recognised under the 1943 Certificate of Incorporation and reaffirmed by the 1985 Certificate of Incorporation. These certificates are not ceremonial relics; they are the legal backbone of CAC’s corporate identity. They define ownership, authority, continuity, and legitimacy.
The Supreme Council is the custodian of CAC’s corporate personality. All properties acquired before 1990—including Anlugbua fall under its jurisdiction. The GEC, which emerged from the 1990 rebellion, cannot retroactively appropriate a property that was legally vested in the Supreme Council decades before its formation. To continue occupying a property gifted to the Supreme Council is to distort history, undermine legal reality, and weaken the institutional foundation upon which CAC stands.
This truth becomes even more pronounced when one considers the fact that the land upon which the GEC constructed its headquarters belongs to the united CAC Nigeria and Overseas under the leadership of the Supreme Council. The GEC did not purchase the land, did not inherit it, and did not receive it through any lawful transfer. Its occupation and development of the property therefore constitute an encroachment upon the corporate heritage of the Church. The Supreme Council, as the legally recognised trustee of CAC’s identity, remains the rightful custodian of the land. Any structure erected upon it without its authority is irregular, unlawful, and ecclesiastically improper.
A Subsisting Court Judgement Mandates Status Quo — No Faction May Build or Claim Pre‑1990 Properties
The judiciary has spoken with clarity and consistency. There is a subsisting judgement binding on every faction, including the GEC, instructing all parties to maintain status quo and refrain from erecting structures or laying claim to any property acquired by CAC before the 1990 rebellion. The Anlugbua land was acquired long before 1990. Therefore, any occupation, development, or administrative claim by the GEC is a direct violation of the court’s order.
This is not a matter of interpretation. It is a matter of compliance. The Church cannot preach obedience to divine commandments while disregarding judicial directives. Our moral authority is compromised when our institutional behaviour contradicts the rule of law. The GEC’s continued occupation of Anlugbua is not merely irregular; it is unlawful.
The subsisting judgement is a protective boundary designed to prevent further fragmentation within CAC. It ensures that no faction appropriates what belongs to the collective heritage of the Church. To violate this judgement is to deepen division and weaken the prospects of reconciliation.
The 1990 Rebellion Cannot Be Used to Justify Post‑Facto Ownership
The GEC emerged from the 1990 rebellion, a historical rupture that sought to challenge the Supreme Council’s authority. While reconciliation efforts have matured over the years, the legal consequences of that rebellion remain intact. No faction formed after 1990 can retroactively claim ownership of properties acquired before the rebellion. To do so would be to reward insurrection and punish lawful stewardship.
The Anlugbua property is part of CAC’s pre‑1990 heritage. It belongs to the Supreme Council, and by extension, to the entire Church not to a faction. The rebellion cannot be used as a basis for rewriting ownership history. The Church must not allow a moment of crisis to become a permanent distortion of truth.
The Occupation of Anlugbua Undermines Unity and Weakens Institutional Legitimacy
CAC Nigeria and Overseas is a global spiritual institution. Its administrative organs must reflect order, legitimacy, and respect for foundational structures. When a faction occupies a property that legally belongs to the Supreme Council, it sends a message of fragmentation and institutional disorder. Unity cannot be built on contested land. Legitimacy cannot flourish where legal boundaries are ignored.
The GEC’s continued presence at Anlugbua is not a symbol of strength; it is a reminder of unresolved disobedience. It undermines efforts toward reconciliation and creates an atmosphere of suspicion. The Church cannot move forward while its administrative organs operate on foundations that contradict its legal identity.
The Moral Burden of History Must Be Respected
Baba Oba I. B. Akinyele gifted the land to CAC out of love, loyalty, and a desire to strengthen the Church’s administrative capacity. To convert that gift into a factional headquarters is to dishonour his intention and diminish his legacy. The Church must rise above political convenience and return to the path of righteousness. Vacating Anlugbua is not an act of defeat; it is an act of honour.
The moral burden of history demands that we preserve the integrity of our founding fathers’ contributions. Their sacrifices must not be appropriated for factional advantage. The Church must demonstrate that it values truth more than territorial control.
A Theological Foundation for Ecclesiastical Obedience and Institutional Righteousness
From the standpoint of Reformed Renewal Pentecostal Theology, the call for the GEC to vacate Anlugbua is not merely administrative; it is profoundly theological. Scripture teaches that obedience to lawful authority is a mark of spiritual maturity. The Apostle Paul writes, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1). The Supreme Council, recognised under the 1943 and 1985 Certificates of Incorporation, represents the lawful authority of CAC’s corporate identity. To disregard this authority is to violate a divine principle.
Furthermore, the Reformed tradition emphasises covenantal faithfulness. The land gifted by Baba Oba I. B. Akinyele constitutes a covenantal trust. Scripture warns against violating sacred trusts: “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set” (Proverbs 22:28). The Anlugbua property is an ancient landmark both legally and spiritually. To occupy it unlawfully is to trespass against the covenantal heritage of the Church.
Pentecostal theology, with its emphasis on renewal and holiness, teaches that revival cannot flourish where disorder reigns. The Holy Spirit thrives in environments where righteousness and truth prevail. The continued occupation of Anlugbua by the GEC creates a spiritual dissonance that hinders the flow of divine grace. Renewal requires repentance, restitution, and alignment with divine order.
Thus, the call to vacate Anlugbua is not merely legal; it is a summons to spiritual obedience, ecclesiastical integrity, and covenantal faithfulness.
Conclusion
The Anlugbua question is not merely administrative. It is a test of our commitment to truth, justice, and the legacy of our founding fathers. As General Evangelist, I affirm that the Church must stand on the side of righteousness. The GEC must vacate the Anlugbua property not out of compulsion, but out of obedience to history, law, and God.
The future of CAC Nigeria and Overseas depends on our willingness to correct past errors and walk boldly into a new era of unity and divine order. The Church must choose truth over convenience, righteousness over rivalry, and obedience over rebellion. Only then can we build a future worthy of our heritage and pleasing to our Lord.
JESUS IS LORD