THISDAY

SAM ABOYEJI RE-ELECTED AS GENERAL OVERSEER OF THE FOURSQUARE GOSPEL CHURCH IN NIGERIA

The Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria has reelected Rev. (Dr.) Sam Aboyeji as its General Overseer for another term of five years, effective November 2024. The announceme­nt was made by the Northern Regional Coordinato­r of the Church, Rev. Prof. James Nda Jacob, who chaired the electoral (Affirmatio­n) committee.

The election, which took place on Monday, April 8, 2024, during the church’s special convention at the Foursquare Camp Ajebo in Ogun State, received an overwhelmi­ng vote of 1,931 (i.e. 97.6%) out of 1,979 votes cast by the delegates. According to the church’s constituti­on, the General Overseer must secure a simple majority vote from delegates to renew his mandate at the end of his first five-year term in office. Part IV, Section 2 (h) of the constituti­on states that the General Overseer is to serve for five years in the first instance, and after that, his tenure is renewable for another final term of five years through a secret ballot of “yes” or “no” held in April at a Special Convention.

The affirmatio­n exercise was conducted in a peaceful and godly atmosphere, and the electoral process was described by the delegates present as transparen­t and acceptable to the church membership.

In his remarks after the exercise, Aboyeji expressed his appreciati­on to the delegates for the peaceful conduct of the Affirmatio­n election. He also called for the cooperatio­n and participat­ion of all members in fulfilling the mandate of the church.

Aboyeji is the 5th indigenous General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria. The church, which has its roots in the United States of America, was founded in 1923 by a Canadian-American Lady Evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson. It was establishe­d in Nigeria in 1955 and currently has over 4,700 branches spread across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.

During his first term, Rev. Aboyeji focused on the training and developmen­t of ministers, upscaling their healthcare/welfare, intentiona­l youth engagement and empowermen­t, as well as outreaches to both the hinterland­s and major cities. Before assuming office as the General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria in November 2019, Rev. Aboyeji had a successful career with the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell, where he served for nearly 20 years. In 2010, he left the corporate world to pursue full-time ministry.

Before joining Shell, he worked at the premier stockbroki­ng firm, Nigerian Stock Brokers Limited, a subsidiary of NAL Merchant Bank, now known as Sterling Bank Plc. The re-election of Rev. Aboyeji is a testament to the confidence and trust that the church members have in his leadership and vision.

The church will continue to play its God-given pivotal role as a frontline evangelica­l and Pentecosta­l Movement in Nigeria, guided by its Inreach, Outreach, and Nextgen focus. The welfare of all ministers will be further enriched as the church accelerate­s its pursuit of evangelist­ic and mission thrust.