Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, this afternoon, delivered a landmark judgment in a suit instituted by Most Superior Evangelist Samson Banjo & 4 Ors of the defunct Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide against Reverend Pastor E.M.F Oshoffa and 4 Ors, on the reconstitution of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and Pastor-in-Council (P.I.C) of the Celestial Church of Church Worldwide.
The plaintiffs prayed that the Court should set aside all the acts of Reverend E.M.F Oshoffa in administering the Church, and sought various declarative and injunctive orders to restrain the Pastor from exercising the power vested in the Pastor, pursuant to clauses 108, 144, 146 and 154 of the Celestial Church constitution.
The Court held as follows:
1. The Pastor is the Supreme (Primus inter pares) and Spiritual Head of the Church and can exercise unfettered powers in accordance with the constitution of the Celestial Church of Christ.
2. The Pastor can dissolve the Board of Trustees (BOT) and Pastor-in-Council (P.I.C) and reconstitute another one, as it is an internal administration of the church that only the Pastor can exercise.
3. The constitution of Celestial Church of Christ, as of today, vests authority on the Pastor. The plaintiffs can, therefore, not undermine that authority at all. All declarative and injuctive reliefs sought from the court are hereby DISMISSED.
His Eminence, Reverend E.M.F Oshoffa, was represented by a formidable legal team made up of Obafemi Adewale SAN, Sanyaolu S. Akinyele ESQ, Yinka Muyiwa ESQ, Ezekiel Agunbiade ESQ, Folasade Jegede ESQ, and Rashidat Ajise ESQ.
The Pastor and Spiritual Head, C.C.C Worldwide, His Eminence, Reverend E.M.F Oshoffa, received the news of his legal victory at his Magodo, Lagos residence, and gave God the glory for his victory in the legal battle which began six years ago.
He waxed prayerful and philosophical as he affirmed that his doors are open to the plaintiffs in the case to come join hands with him in peace and harmony to move the Celestial Church of Chri
