The Apostolic Church in ONNA on Sunday suspended its pastor, E. E. Henshaw for hosting a thanksgiving and dedication service for the Young Progressives Party.
The embattled pastor during the church service on Sunday announced to the congregation that he just got a text message that he has been suspended for allowing the YPP to do its thanksgiving and campaign in the church.
He added that the Field Superintendent, Dr. U Ukpong had ordered him in the message to appear before a disciplinary committee the following day(Monday).
He alleged that the Police had the previous night, invaded his church, harassed him and threatened to detain him if he allows YPP to attend the church.
However, the governorship candidate of the YPP, Senator Bassey Akpan reacting to the incident stressed that only God enthrones and unseats governments.
His words “God unseats governments and enthrones governments and that same God who made Obong Attah governor; who made Godswill Akpabio governor; and who made Udom Emmanuel governor will also make me governor.
“We are a people others rejected but God saw our sincerity of mind and is using us to achieve His purpose. YPP will shock other parties, through the mass support of the people so that when we come in, we will not behave like them.”
He lamented a situation where YPP has been blocked from all the public venues in the state, including Ibom Hall, Ikot Ekpene Stadium and even some churches in ONNA.
The Senator also questioned why member, Mbo defected but his seat was not declared vacant in the state House of Assembly but when Usoro Akpanusoh and Asuquo Nanna were suspected to belong to YPP, their seats were declared vacant.
However, the Apostolic Church, Eket Field through the field Secretary, Pastor B. E. Okon, denied suspending the said pastor.
Part of the statement issued on Monday read thus: “available information from the Office of the Field Superintendent, Pastor U. S. Ukpong shows that the Church Council which has the exclusive authority to sanction erring staff of the Church has not met since their last General Council Meeting on Tuesday, 6th September 2022.
“On this note, there is no way the said Pastor E. E. Henshaw could have been suspended on an issue that occurred on Sunday 2nd October 2022.
“On behalf of the Church Council, we refute any information fed to the public on the suspension of Pastor E. E. Henshaw as falsehood, misleading and scandalous with the sole aim of causing rancour in the polity.”