The leadership tussle that has almost torn apart elders in the Celestial Church of Christ is back on the front burner.
After the death of the founder of the church, issues regarding who becomes the leader became a serious item between the succeeding elders of CCC. However, the power to choose a leader has continually failed these elders.
But Mobiyina Oschoffa, the son of the Celestial’s spiritual leader, Pastor SBJ Oschoffa, has been on the stool for almost 20 years now. However, Tosho Oschoffa said to be Mobiyina’s blood, was said to have mounted pressure on Mobiyina to proclaim him (Tosho) a pastor, the very title no member of the CCC apart from Pa SBJ Oschoffa reserves the right to hold.
Now, there is this meddlesomeness coming from an unlikely side. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria has allegedly waded into the Celestial matter. Recently, Tosho reportedly contacted him and the septuagenarian statesman was said to have given Tosho a piece of his mind.
This move by Tosho indeed raised a lot of dusts within the rank and file of Celestial Church and it also created a lot of divisions. Whilst some church members supported Tosho’s move, some condemned him.
It is a popular fact within the Celestial fold that, before the demise of Pa SBJ Oschoffa, a document existed which stated that 25 years after his demise, none of his children should be involved in the activities of the church. But so far, the position of the late founder on who to be pastor after Oschoffa has been audaciously violated. And, this is said to be the genesis of the Church’s crisis which has abandoned the Church in this sorry state.
So, when Tosho was allegedly taken to Chief Obasanjo in Abeokuta through a man called Baba Adanitan, one of the strong supporters of Tosho’s candidacy, it was revealed that the Ota farmer told them the home truth.
According to a source, Tosho may decide whether to continue with his ambition of leading CCC or resign from contesting any further.
The source said that, Obasanjo advised Tosho to shun the pastor title because his late father never approved of any of his sons to step into his shoes as Celestial leader.
The former president was said to have told his visitors a story of his closeness to Pa Oschoffa when he was a military ruler. Obasanjo reportedly asked Tosho to respect his father’s wish because he knew him to be a man whom God listened to. According to the source, Obasanjo said that, Pa Oschoffa it was who foresaw that he would come back to rule Nigeria for eight years as a civilian.
“Everything your father told me came to pass”, the former president reportedly told his visitors. “And when I was to be hanged, I remember his prediction and looked up to the sky in wonder when suddenly the man who ordered my hanging died that same day”. On that score, Chief Obasanjo was said to have appealed to Tosho to have a rethink on his ambition.
-Folorunsho Hamsat
