PFN Election Crisis: Over 150 Pastors Accuse Arch. Bishop Isong, Diri’s Aide of Election Manipulation
No fewer than 150 pastors in Bayelsa State have fingered National Vice President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) South-South Zone, Arch. Bishop Emmah Gospel Isong, Gov. Douye Diri’s Special Adviser on Religion, Rev. Godspower Asengba, and the incumbent chairman and Executive Secretary of Bayelsa State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Pastor Tam Seth Eyedoude of manipulating December 2, 2025 Bayelsa PFN election.
The aggrieved pastors, in a protest letter to the National President of PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, alleged that Arch. Bishop Isong had unlawfully disqualified Rev. Timiebi Kiyaramo of Kingdom Grace Mission Inc., Pastor Eyedoude’s opponent in the state council election, to enable Eyedoude to return unopposed on the false claim that he was not a member of the State Advisory Council.
The pastors cited a lack of transparency and financial accountability under Eyedoude’s four years leadership as Bayelsa PFN chairman, referencing a December 1, 2025 protest letter to the State Advisory Council, where they had called for Pastor Eyedoude’s out right disqualification on grounds of financial impropriety.
They urged the PFN national leadership to cancel the election and put in place an interim body to conduct a free and fair election on a later day, citing Eyedoude’s failure to render accounts, and “vote of no confidence” earlier passed on his leadership by members.
The protest letter dated December 5, 2025, and addressed to the National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, the pastors alleged that Arch. Bishop Isong unlawfully disqualified the most popular candidate, Rev. Timiebi Kiyaramo to enable the incumbent state chairman to be returned unopposed despite being a bona-fide member of the State Advisory Council (SAC).
They regretted the role allegedly played by the Special Adviser to Gov. Douye Diri on Religion, Rev. Godspower Asengba by deliberately shifting the venue of the election to his own church, the Overcomers Lamb Assembly Yenagoa, to enable him to perpetuate the purported electoral fraud in favour of Pastor Eyedoude, an aide to Gov. Diri, serving in the capacity of the Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Pilgrims Welfare Board, which many pastors in PFN see as an abbarration.
The letter reads in part: “Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.
“Pastor Tam Seth Eyedoude was saddled with a responsibility by the PFN Constitution to be accountable to the people and the body he swore to govern as chairman, but contrary wise, he disappointed the confidence reposed in him and failed in the following areas: He could not render account to the State Advisory Council, the State Executive Council and the PFN Congress after four years in office.
“Over time, the Congress had demanded for accountability and stewardship to the body, which he turned down until the end of his tenure. Therefore, as concerned Congress members, we have resolved to protest after appearing for a statutory regular general congress meeting today, being Monday 1st December 2025, unfortunately, there was none to hold the meeting despite the presence of congress members.
“Perhaps, upon the perceived protest against him for his failure to render financial report to the house in the last four years, he deliberately put off the meeting. Hence, Congress has passed a vote of no confidence on him for lack of accountability during his four years in office. Therefore, he should not be allowed to take part in the chairmanship election on Tuesday, 2nd Dec 2025. If this protest is not considered, we will take legal action.”
Signatories to the protest letters include Apst Dr. Felix Igbud, Apst. Tonye Kalsuo, and Pastor Jacob Caster, among others.
All efforts to speak with Arch Bishop Emmah Gospel Isong, Rev. Godspower Asengba and Pastor Tam Seth Eyedoude proved abortive, even as their phones were not reachable at the time of filing this report.
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