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leaderships and Succession : TB Joshua’s family, disciples’ crisis worsens, trustee alleges threat to life
The rift between the family of the late founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua, and a disciple of the late prophet is unabated over the running of the church
The leadership and succession crises at the Synagogue Church of All Nations may not be over as a member of the Board of Trustees, Joseph David, has raised the alarm over alleged threats to his life and those of other leaders of the ministry.
David, who has gone into hiding with other disciples of the late founder of the church, Prophet Temitope Joshua, aka TB Joshua, claimed that the family of the founder was using law enforcement agents to hunt them.
He said this was because of their perceived closeness to the late cleric and supposed knowledge of important details of the church not known to the family.
The Delta State indigene, who spoke to our correspondent from his hideout, alleged that the wife of the founder, Evelyn Joshua, was making spirited attempts to consolidate power around her, adding that influential followers of TB Joshua had been chased away, including foreigners.
He said, “The ministry had disciples, who handled the operation, administration and spiritual affairs of the church. Among them were five prophets, who were always with Prophet TB Joshua.
“The prophet’s wife was never active in the administration of the church. She only functioned ceremoniously, maybe to receive awards for him.
“Before the prophet passed on, he was interviewed by a newspaper, where he answered the question of succession. He said the church is not a family thing, and that was why his wife was not always seen with him.
“Around the period he granted the interview, he had removed her from being a trustee of the church. But she did not know she had been removed until he died.”
David said after TB Joshua’s death, the church had two trustees left – the cleric’s daughter, Promise Joshua, and himself.
He noted that trouble started during a meeting to fill the space left by the late cleric, who was the third trustee of the church.
The Yaba College of Technology graduate said two family members – the prophet’s first daughter and his wife – were suggested by a group, adding that he kicked against it to avoid being easily overrun and removed by the family members.
The 52-year-old said he suggested that if the duo would join, then more non-family members should be added to make for balance of power, an idea that was rejected by the family, as the meeting ended without a resolution.
The evangelist said from that point, there was mutual suspicion between the family and the group of disciples led by him.
He said the suspicion was fuelled by the fear of the family that they were in possession of things that the family did not know about.
“Actually, immediately the man of God passed on, the wife started investigating us and our accounts. We don’t take salaries, and we are not exposed to any issue of money.
“But due to suspicion, she took over the administration of the ministry. All the workers started reporting to her.
“For the 27 years that I was in that ministry, she never handled any matter of administration. But she started making people turn their backs on the disciples, saying we are thieves and robbers. As a result, church workers started refusing instructions.
“Our movement was restricted; our personal freedom was infringed on. We could not shout because we thought this was a family issue and we could bear it,” he added.
David said a man was later asked to mediate between the disciples and the family, adding that the intervention did not work out.
He said his group later decided to concede to the family and allow TB Joshua’s wife take over the running of the church.
The cleric said the disciples were, however, shocked when he reached out to the mediator and they were told that the situation had reached a “gunpowder status.”
“He said for us to avoid the disaster that was coming, all of us as disciples must come together and sign an undertaking to declare Mrs Evelyn Joshua as the new GO of the church and we must sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour. And we should forward all that to him and maybe he would ‘unwalk’ the situation to avoid the trouble that was coming. We saw this as a threat, and we did not know how to respond to his message,” he added.
David noted that the matter reached a climax on September 9 when the family allegedly invited some church members and declared Evelyn as the chairman of the board of trustees and general overseer after obtaining a court order.
Simultaneously, he said security agents went to the Prayer Mountain and dragged out some of the disciples after taking their phones, adding that some workers in the church were also taken to the gallery.
He said, “That evening, all the Nigerian evangelists of TB Joshua, some of whom had stayed with the prophet for 28 to 29 years, the least is 20 years, were sent out.
“But before then, their second daughter, Promise, came with letters from the EFCC and distributed to them before they left.
“Most of the prophets, both Nigerian and foreign, she accused them of theft, fraud and money laundering. After she removed the Nigerians, she threatened the foreign ones that they should go back to their countries. Madam said she did not want any discipleship again.”
The evangelist recalled that before the events of that day, Promise had written to the Nigeria Immigration Service to demand that the residency status of the foreigners be reviewed because their services were no longer needed.
He said when he was informed about the call, he went to Abuja to stop the process because the foreigners were still useful.
According to him, the EFCC had since launched a search for him and others, saying their lives were under threat.
He said, “As we are talking now, we are hiding in a hotel. The EFCC came and we were warned that they were looking for us and we should stay in our rooms. Unfortunately, one of our sisters walked into them and they took her away, despite the fact that we had a restraining order.
“The question is, ‘Why is this woman using the arms of the law to intimidate innocent people?’ The charges at the EFCC against us are completely baseless because we are not in the position to launder money or steal; cash does not go through us. Those who work in the accounts have explained the procedure to her, but she is not listening.
“Now, she has gained control over everything and she is still chasing us. We have tried to sympathise with the family, but we also want the world to hear our side of the story.”
Our correspondent learnt that aside from the alleged stealing and money laundering charges, the EFCC was also looking into allegations of misappropriation of the burial funds of TB Joshua, in which the disciples were implicated.
TB Joshua’s daughter, Promise, said the allegations against the family were unfounded, adding that David and others were only trying to give the church a bad name because their atrocities were exposed.
The 24-year-old explained that the family saw CCTV footage of some persons moving money from the church, claiming that some of the drivers involved in the act had made confessional statements indicting the disciples.
Promise also denied that the family was chasing away those who worked with her father. She said they were only asked to leave pending when the church would resume.
She said, “Everything that happened here was recorded and at the right time, depending on how everything goes, it will be put out for the public to see.
“The constitution of the church was followed to the latter and that was how my mum became a trustee. The day it happened, concerned members of the church appealed to the Corporate Affairs Commission and everything was done legally.
“From the beginning of the ministry, there have always been three trustees. The second time my dad made a change, the board consisted of my dad, mum and my dad’s nephew, Hassan.
“Last year, my dad wanted to put me on the board. His nephew, who used to go to court for him (over the church building collapse), left the church. That was how Joseph (David) was brought in. He did not even know he was a trustee until my dad passed on.
“The only reason my dad made him a trustee was for him to attend the court sessions. My dad would not want my mum to be going to court for him. Joseph was the one that was following Hassan, who left last year.”
On the case with the EFCC, Promise said after her father’s death, a committee was created.
She explained that during the period, the family got reports of heavy movements of cash.
“Even the drivers they were using to move the money were the ones reporting these things. There is also a video where they were caught moving the money. The church lawyers then advised that we should report to the authorities and that was how they were invited.
“The foreigners, who were called to carry the money without knowing what it was, went to the EFCC and were released after they were cleared to go back to their countries with the intention of coming back in about a month. They were not deported; they are coming back.
“These people talking are those I believe are guilty; all the other ones went to the EFCC and returned after they were interviewed. All they had to do was to explain what happened because there is video evidence. I don’t know why they are running; if you are not guilty, go and explain yourself.”
Asked why the foreigners were reported to the authorities, Promise said since the funeral of the late prophet, there had not been any activity in the church.
“And we don’t really feel we should have workers that we don’t need. That was the idea behind that. It was not deportation; we were paying non-essential workers and the church was not operating. So, we said, we don’t need anyone here. You can go back to your country. The person you claim to train under is no more here. These disciples, what did they come to do here? They came to train under TB Joshua, and TB Joshua is not here physically. You came to train under TB Joshua as a disciple. So, the intention of coming to Nigeria was not to take over the church, but to train under him,” she stated.
Promise said the church workers confessed the alleged atrocities of the disciples, adding that the departure of the leaders was a relief to many who had suffered under their yoke.
She slammed David for saying her mother was not trusted enough by the father to carry on with the ministry.
“My dad had always put his family as trustees of the church. I am not surprised; this is expected. The church will soon resume; these ones are the bad eggs,” she added.
A spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren, confirmed that the case was being handled by the Lagos office of the agency.
Asked about the restraining order, he promised to find out and get back to our correspondent.
He had yet to do so as of press time
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
The other political parties the court directed the electoral body to deregister are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The court order followed a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu.
The National Forum of Former Legislators had, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, prayed the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that fail to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.
It was the position of the plaintiff that the five political parties listed as defendants in the matter had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration.
The former legislators stressed that the requirements include winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.
They told the court that the ADC and the four other parties performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and by-elections conducted by INEC, thereby failing to win seats across key tiers of government.
The litigants insisted that the continued existence of the ADC and the other defendants as recognised political parties is unlawful and undermines the integrity of the country’s electoral system.
Among other reliefs, the plaintiff urged the court to declare that INEC is duty-bound to deregister such parties.
It further urged the court to compel the commission to deregister the five political parties before preparations for the 2027 elections advance further.
Beyond declaratory reliefs, the plaintiff prayed the court to restrain the five affected parties from participating in general elections or engaging in political activities such as campaigns, rallies, and primaries.
It also sought a court injunction restraining INEC from recognising or dealing with the parties in any official capacity unless and until they strictly comply with constitutional provisions.
The judgment may affect the chances of candidates of the affected political parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to contest the 2027 presidential poll.
President honours Gens. Yar’Adua, Williams, Igbokwe, media moguls, activists, other heros
With a call on Nigerians to unite in the fight against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reflected on the nation’s 27 years of uninterrupted democracy.
He said such joint efforts had become imperative because the battle against insecurity cannot be left to the government alone.
The President listed some deserving individuals, including the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Gen. Ishola Williams, media executives, rights crusaders and others for national honours.
In his Democracy Day broadcast this morning, the President urged citizens to avoid ethnic profiling and blame games in the face of security challenges.
He assured that the country would emerge stronger and more united after overcoming terrorism.
He said: “At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity.
“We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history.
“We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation.”
The President spoke against the backdrop of recent abductions in Oyo and Borno states.
He described the incidents as a painful reminder that democracy cannot thrive without security.
Expressing optimism that the abducted children would regain their freedom, Tinubu stressed that his administration had responded decisively by declaring a security emergency and approving the recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers and thousands of military personnel.
Besides, he said the government allocated N5.41 trillion to defence and security in the 2026 Budget, describing it as the largest security vote ever.
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“Democracy without security is a mirage,” he said, noting that the allocation represents the biggest defence and security budget in Nigeria’s history.
Tinubu said the country had moved beyond conventional military training exercises with international partners to precision targeting of terrorist networks, citing the degradation of an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State, as evidence of progress.
Reflecting on the democratic journey, Tinubu said the country had enjoyed its longest uninterrupted period of civilian rule, spanning 27 years since the return to democratic governance in 1999.
He noted that despite its imperfections, Nigeria’s democracy remained resilient because citizens had consistently chosen leaders through the ballot box, resolved disputes through legal institutions and ensured peaceful transitions of power.
Ahead of the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, the President urged stakeholders to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and political parties to ensure peaceful and credible polls, warning that democracy suffers whenever citizens lose confidence in elections.
The Ekiti governorship election will be held on June 20, while the Osun poll is scheduled for August 15.
Tinubu challenged the National Assembly, the Judiciary, the media and civil society organisations to continue serving as guardians of democratic governance.
“Criticise me, disagree with me, but never stop believing in Nigeria,” he said.
On youths, the President urged them to see the country as their future and contribute actively to national development rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere.
He said: “Nigeria is your home and your future. Build here, code here, work here, and vote here. Every great nation was built by those who stayed to solve problems, not by those who abandoned ship.”
The President also commended members of the armed forces, police, intelligence agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community heads for their roles in promoting peace and national cohesion.
The President paid glowing tribute to Nigerians who endured imprisonment, exile, persecution and death during the struggle for democracy, describing them as heroes whose sacrifices made the current democratic dispensation possible.
He saluted the late winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, and his deceased spouse, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, alongside other democracy vanguards.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 signed an Executive Order proclaiming June 12, the date of the historic election won by Abiola but annulled by the military, as Democracy Day. It has since been observed as a public holiday.
Those listed for national recognition include Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Alfred Rewane, Senator Abraham Adesanya, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Chief Frank Kokori, Chief Arthur Nwankwo, Mr. Chima Ubani and Gen. Yar’Adua.
Tinubu also announced national honours for many journalists, activists, lawyers, politicians and civil society leaders who suffered persecution, detention, exile and other hardships during the struggle against military rule.
Many military officers who were persecuted during the pro-democracy struggle were also honoured.
They are Ayoka Lawani, Tunde Fagbenle, Oladele Alake, Olatunji Bello, Louis Odion, Segun Babatope, Sam Omatseye, Ademola Osinubi, Bola Bolawole, Lade Bonuola, Femi Kusa, Osa Director, Richard Akinnola, George Mbah, Niran Malaolu, Gbemiga Ogunleye, Jenkins Alumona, Muyiwa Adekeye, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, Ike Okonta and Ben Charles-Obi (posthumous).
Activists on the list are Debo Adeniran, Ayo Opadokun, Ralph Obiora, Ose Osayande, Sylvester Odion-Akhaine and Arthur Nwankwo (posthumous).
Others are Osagie Obayuwana, Joe Okei-Odumakin, Titus Mann, Joe Igbokwe, Maj.-Gen. Ishola Williams (retd) and Femi Aborisade.
The President equally recognised many military officers, including Maj.-Gen. M.A. Garba, Brig.-Gen. Lawal Jaafaru Isa, Col. Umar Farouk Ahmed, Col. Sambo Dasuki, Col. Lawan Gwadabe, Brig. Jonathan Ndam Temlong, Col. Musa Shehu, Maj.-Gen. Chris Eze, Maj.-Gen. Harris Dzarma, Col. Isa Jibrin, Maj.-Gen. Joseph Oshanupin, Col. Olusegun Oloruntoba, Lt.-Col. Happy Kefas Bulus, Col. J. Okai, Col. Emmanuel Ndubueze, Lt.-Col. Yakubu Muazu and Brig. Yahaya Abubakar, who is the Etsu Nupe.
The President added: “Among the architects of modern democratic Nigeria, we honour General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua for his vision of national partnership.
“In recognition of his contributions, the Federal Government has approved the revitalisation and renaming of the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology.”
Tinubu said the full honours list would be released in the coming days.
According to him, the greatest tribute Nigerians can pay to the heroes is to build a nation where freedom is protected, justice is upheld, opportunities are expanded, and government remains accountable to the people.
June 12, he believes, demonstrates the possibility of a united Nigerian nation, noting that while the heroes of that struggle secured political freedom, the responsibility of the present generation is to secure economic freedom.
‘Reforms necessary’
He defended the economic reforms undertaken by his administration, arguing that they were necessary to rescue the country from severe fiscal strain and economic uncertainty.
The President said the reforms had restored stability and credibility to economic management, increased federation revenues, improved fiscal transparency and attracted fresh investments into agriculture, manufacturing, energy, technology, mining, transportation and the creative sector.
He added that domestic refining capacity had expanded significantly, enhancing energy security and reducing dependence on imported petroleum products.
‘We’ll deliver on electricity supply’
On electricity, Tinubu said his administration inherited a sector plagued by inadequate generation, weak transmission infrastructure, huge distribution losses, a metering deficit exceeding four million customers and massive legacy debts.
He noted that the Electricity Act signed by his administration had empowered states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, while the Presidential Power Sector Task Force had been mandated to tackle the metering gap and raise a N4 trillion bond to settle verified debts in the sector.
The President said the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), with support from the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), was extending off-grid and mini-grid electricity projects to underserved communities, educational institutions, markets and hospitals across the country.
“Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian. We intend to deliver it,” he said.
Nigeria Investment Opportunities
Highlighting ongoing projects, the President said they were creating jobs, improving connectivity and opening new opportunities for enterprise.
He said the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) was deploying 10,000 tractors over five years, while over 1,000 small and medium enterprises had been certified for export.
He added that non-oil exports grew by 21 per cent in the past year.
Despite the progress, the President acknowledged that many Nigerians continued to face economic hardship.
He assured citizens that the government remained focused on reducing inflation, increasing food production, creating jobs, improving living standards and ensuring that the benefits of economic reforms reached every household.
“We are moving from uncertainty to stability. The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community and every region. We believe that democracy must be felt in the pocket,” he said.
The House of Representatives has passed the state police bill, effectively making way for the decentralisation of the Nigerian policing architecture.
The resolution followed the voting by 289 lawmakers in favour of state police during Thursday’s plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.
Recall that the House committed Thursday’s plenary to voting on the State Police Bill following the spike in killings, kidnappings, and banditry in the past few months.
The session was not without its fair share of drama, as shortly after the lawmakers settled down for the business of the day, Kaduna lawmaker, Bashir Zubairu, moved a point of order, explaining that the document on the proposed state police put together by the House Committee on Constitution Review got to the lawmakers only on Thursday afternoon.
Recognised to speak by the speaker, Zubairu said, “Mr Speaker, this document was only made available to lawmakers in the chambers, and we are yet to go through it. We cannot do justice to it because we have not gone through it.”
Zubairu, a member of the African Democratic Congress, was ruled out of order, allowing the process to proceed.
While the Speaker took members through the clauses, voices shouting “Point of Order” could be heard, but the presiding officer ignored them.
Before the voting began, Abbas announced that the electronic voting system was faulty, noting that the exercise would be conducted based on attendance.
Out of the 290 members in attendance, 289 voted in favour of state police while one voted against. The Speaker abstained from voting.
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