“Acting Prez Of The 7th Day Pentecostal Assemblies Urged To Comply With Electoral Procedures.
Information reaching this website from Kumasi in the Ashanti region indicates that alleged troubles are brewing between two factions of the 7th Day Pentecostal Assemblies having its headquarters in Kumasi in the Ashanti region over leadership rights.
At press time, whilst one group of the church led by Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr has expressed his willingness to cooperate to ensure a free and fair elections of the church, the opposite side of the faction also led by one Akwasi Macaiah Addai is alleged to have different opinion.
Since 2009, the Association of the 7th Day Pentecostal Assemblies has not known peace following the death of the founder and leader of the church, Elder Enoch Ofori Snr.
Within these years, the church has been confronted with leadership crisis resulting to legal tussle in the court to decide on who qualifies to become the next president of the church.
Currently a member of the church, one Akwasi Macaiah Addai is Acting as the President of the church per court directives pending elections to appoint a substantial president to run the affairs of the church.
The correspondent gathered that through legal proceedings, the group of Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr, been the plaintiffs had in several occasions floored the defendants been Mr Addai and his group.
The latest judgements from the Court of Appeal and High Court respectively of 28th April 2022 and 16th May 2023 of which the reporter has laid hands on the judgement copies revealed that the two courts have separately pronounced Mr Macaiah Addai guilty and was was slapped with several millions of cedis as cost.
Under such judgements the two courts charged the factions to go home and conduct the necessary elections and elect a substantial president for the church to avoid further confusions.
However an unfolding drama took place at the Ashanti regional branch of the Electoral Commission office on Friday August 25, 2023 when Mr Akwasi Macaiah Addai and his supporters allegedly tried to use some strategies to influence the elections on their favor.
The alleged documents he (Addai ) presented for the election process to the Electoral Commission was rejected by the group of Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr who allegedly drew the attention of the Commission to that effect.
This was because Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr allegedly was suspicious of Addai’s documents presented to the Commission.
Credible facts gathered by the reporter had it that Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr commands 21 active branch churches across the country, whilst the other side been Akwasi Macaiah Addai and group also have 3 branches in the country.
Macaiah Addai was reportedly said to have privately contacted the EC boss in Kumasi, Mr Benjamin Bannor for assistance on how best he Addai can win the church elections when it takes off.
An allegations that have heightened the fears and suspicion of the group of Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr if care is not taken they would be defeated in the elections.
But when the correspondent reached Ashanti regional EC boss Mr Benjamin Bannor for his side version of Akwasi Macaiah Addai’s allegations, he confirmed the issue which he described it as an enquiry mission.
I told the man to follow the right procedures that govern elections after which l advised him to see the other group been Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr and his supporters to jointly form a committee that would oversee to the proper arrangements of the system and if both parties come into compromise, then come back to inform the Commission to ensure free and fair election.
The EC boss reiterated that confusions broke out at his office when the committee presented their final report for attention.
He added that unable to contain the noisemaking and misunderstanding acts at his office, he advised them to go back and do their homework well, and after coming into compromise, inform the Commission of their readiness for the elections.
“EC is a neutral state body which never discriminates nor take sides in electoral matters”, , Bonnor told the correspondent.
Meanwhile sources close to the church indicated that the six months period the court ordered for the elections have been exhausted.
And we prayed that the court the would intervene in the matter to bring about peace and stability in the church.
Attached pictures are Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr and Mr Addai and the court judgements.“
