The group, identified as Concerned RCCG FCT Youths, made its position known in a statement signed by Sydney Usman Godwin and Sunday Ogunbanwo.
The controversy centres on a summit titled “Game Changers: Youth as Catalysts for National Transformation,” scheduled for September 26, 2026, at the Mariam Babangida National Centre for Women Development in Abuja.
The event is being organised under RCCG Continent 2 YAYA through its Directorate of Politics and Governance.
The youths alleged that posters, flyers and invitations carrying the RCCG name, logo and identity were being used to promote what they described as a partisan political gathering.
They specifically accused the organisers of attempting to use the programme to create an avenue for the promotion of Tinubu and the APC.
The group argued that RCCG's Directorate of Politics and Governance should encourage responsible civic participation and promote Christian values in public service rather than become a platform for partisan political interests.
According to the youths, the directorate's role should include encouraging participation in politics, promoting integrity and justice in governance and awakening Christians to their civic responsibilities.
They therefore called for the church to maintain what they described as its longstanding political neutrality.
The summit's published guest list includes Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, former Minister of Education Obi Ezekwesili, former Senator Dino Melaye and several serving and former lawmakers.
The hosts are listed as Pastor E. A. Odeyemi, Continental Overseer of RCCG Continent 2, and Pastor Sola Olukoya, Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Youth Affairs.
The presence of politicians and public officials at the event was cited by the protesting youths as part of the basis for their concerns.
However, the published theme of the summit focuses on youth participation and national transformation, and the available reports do not independently establish that the event is an APC campaign programme.
The youths called on RCCG leadership at both the FCT and national levels to intervene and caution the organisers.
They demanded that political actors they consider partisan be removed from the programme if the event is to remain a church activity.
They also said that if the organisers intended to proceed with the summit as a partisan political gathering, the RCCG's name, logo, emblem and other church identifiers should be removed from its promotional materials.
The group maintained that individual church members have the constitutional right to participate in politics, but argued that such participation should not be presented as an official church endorsement of a political party.
The RCCG's official website currently directs the public to verify claims about the church and its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, through the church's authorised communication channels.
In a clarification published by the church, RCCG said claims that are not communicated, verified or endorsed through its official communication channels should not be treated as official positions of the church.
As of the reports reviewed for this story, there was no publicly available RCCG statement confirming the youth group's allegation that the summit was designed to endorse Tinubu or the APC.
The controversy therefore raises questions about the distinction between church-sponsored civic engagement and partisan political activity, particularly where a religious organisation's branding is used for programmes involving serving politicians and political figures.
For the protesting youths, the issue is not whether Christians should participate in politics, but whether a church-branded programme should be perceived as advancing the interests of a particular political party or administration.
RCCG leadership's response, if issued, would help clarify the official purpose of the summit and the church's position on the concerns raised by the FCT youths.
Comments
Post a Comment