December 08, (THEWILL) – A Deputy Continental Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG in the United States, Pastor Bayo Adeyokunnu has joined the tightly contested race for the successor of Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, the late Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Osun State. Adeyokunnu is the younger brother of Pastor Mrs Folu Adeboye, the wife of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of RCCG.
The Owa of Obokun stool has remained vacant following the demise of the king in September. If Adeyokunnnu succeeds in his quest, he will become the fourth pastor from RCCG to become king and the second pastor in the RCCG fold based in the US to become king in Nigeria. Just about a year ago, Ọba Ghandi Afọlábí Ọláoyè was installed the Soun of Ogbomoso in Oyo State. Ghandi was the pastor of RCCG Jesus House in Washington before his installation as the Soun of Ogbomoso in 2023.
Others include Pastor Gabriel Ayodele Adejuwon who became a king in Isan-Ekiti in 2017 and Pastor Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle who became the new Olu of Ilaro and supreme ruler of Ogun state’s Yewa-Awori area in 2012.
Adeyokunnu’s interest in the throne has been made known to some key figures in the RCCG and Adeboye deemed it necessary to reveal this fact when he attended the 70th birthday celebration of Adeyokunnu in the US recently.
During his speech at the birthday celebration, Adeboye hinted that Adeyokunnu may be the next king of Ijeshaland. He told the participants at the event that he was compelled to pray in Yoruba language for Adeyokunnu as it is forbidden to speak English in the presence of a ‘king’ in the land he comes from, Ijeshaland.
Sources reveal that Adeyokunnu’s decision to go for the throne was borne out of his desire to be a blessing to Ijeshaland in addition to the fact that he would be retiring from the RCCG soon having clocked 70 years. He is of the Bilaro ruling house in Ijeshaland. His great, great grandfather was Kabiyesi Ofokutu I and so he qualifies for taking a shot at the throne. He has ministered in different capacities within the body of Christ for more than three decades beginning from the Student Christian Movement at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University and rose to become a Regional Pastor of the RCCG in North America. He has pastored different congregations of RCCG and established more than 40 parishes of the church in India.
Prior to a full-time calling, he was a successful businessman trading with and consulting for governmental and private companies while also running a travel agency in Nigeria. His wife, Pastor Mrs Margaret Adeyokunnu is the Provincial Pastor of RCCGNA MD Province 1.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
