The Seventh Day Adventist Church, on Saturday, sealed off its Abia North Conference at Umuoriehi, in Umuahia North Local Government Area, over leadership crisis rocking the headquarters.
It was alleged that the church leaders sent the worshippers out of the church premises and locked the gate immediately after Saturday’s service.
They displayed placards with different inscriptions at the gate, such as “Sealed,” “End of an era,” “We pray for a new era of unity, peace, mission mindedness and genuine spirituality,” among others.
Speaking withJournalists, Mr Godson Chukwuocha, Leader, Umuahia/Ubakala/Umunneochi Zone, noted that they were putting an end to the leadership crisis that had lingered at the church headquartres for the past four years.
Chukwuocha said that the members were assembled from the 17 districts that make up the Conference.
He said that the church decided to pass “a vote of no confidence” on Pastor Enyinnaya Uguru with his executive and asked them to leave office because their tenure had expired.
Chukwuocha said that Uguru and his executive had been occupying the position for the past 12 years and had refused to leave, as against the church policy of four-year tenure.
He explained that their tenure expired since February, but the Union, which is the superior to the Conference, extended it to August after the plea by Uguru and his executive.
“The Union again extended it and expected them to organize another election and hand over to a new executive between Sept. 21 and Sept. 23, but they refused,” he added.
In his views, Mr Iroabuchi Alozie, Secretary, Umuahia/Ubakala/Umunneochi Zone, opined that the church has a policy document that stipulates a four-year tenure.
