A former pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Afolabi Olaoye, who is favourite to become the new Soun of Ogbomoso, says he prayed about the traditional stool after his spiritual leader Pastor Enoch Adeboye advised so.
Olaoye told members of his church in a video posted to the Facebook page of InsideOgbomoso, that he did not accept his new role because he had nothing else to do.
The clergyman was the lead pastor of the RCCG, Jesus House, Washington DC, United States. He said he had planned to retire from the pastoral ministry after 30 years of service, and travel the world.
Olaoye, who apologised to his members for “any embarrassment” they might have “felt by what has gone on on the social media.”
“While I was in Nigeria in December, the king of our town died. I’m really close to the family because, like I said, I’m from a royal family,” he said.
“After the Oyewumis, the Ajagungbades…my family is next. Everybody from Ogbomoso who is familiar with the tradition knows that. And I, of course, knew about that.
“But I was not interested in it at all, because I believed that I had gone on a completely different part.”
Olaoye said his father also never told him that he could become the Soun of Ogbomoso if he wanted to be, so he never had any intention of becoming the king of the ancient town.
He said people close to him and knew his family was the next to ascend the throne began to call him and to ask him to consider taking up the throne.
Olaoye said he called Adeboye to intimate him of the situation. He said when he told Adeboye that he was not interested, the preacher asked him to fast and pray about it.
He said he did not take the advice seriously as he did not pray about it.
He, however, said that he heard God tell him on January 2, 2022, that becoming the Soun of Ogbomoso was his destiny.
