Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has suspended the Senior Pastor in charge of the City of David Parish in Lagos State, Mr. Idowu Iluyomade.
The suspension of Iluyomade, who also heads the Apapa Family of the church’s annex, came after the elaborate 60th birthday celebration of his wife, Siju Iluyomade.
A source who spoke with Church Times, said the pastor got the letter of his suspension over the weekend and was replaced by Pastor Charles Kpandei of the church’s Resurrection Parish Region 11 with immediate effect.
It follows that Iluyomade was reportedly suspended for three months by the Governing Council of the church after a panel was constituted to look into the allegations against him and the parish.
A top pastor in the church who prefers not to be named, told Church Times that the decision to suspend Iluyomade is a response to the public outcry against the extravagant birthday party of his wife shortly after the death of the then Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe.
Iluyomade, fondly called PID, has been in the eyes of the storm following the 60th birthday of his wife, Siji.
Many people believed the birthday, which was celebrated just about a week after the death of Wigwe in a helicopter crash in the US, was in bad taste. Wigwe had been an immense blessing to the church before his transition. But the birthday party suggested the church had no emotional attachment to him.