CAC Accepts Biodun Fatoyinbo’s Apology Over Comments on Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola

By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News

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The Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) has officially accepted the apology of Biodun Fatoyinbo, the Global Senior Pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), following widespread backlash over his recent remarks about the church’s late founder, Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola.

A split image featuring two men: on the left, a contemporary individual in formal attire with glasses, and on the right, a historical black-and-white portrait of an early 20th-century church leader.

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Fatoyinbo had stirred controversy earlier in the week during a sermon where he praised Babalola’s remarkable anointing but questioned his material wealth and the legacy he left behind. “He was anointed. So anointed. Anointed man. Heavy-duty grace, but no money. So, all the grace just went like that,” Fatoyinbo remarked, before asking rhetorically, “Where are his children?”

The comments sparked outrage among CAC members, clerics, and the wider Christian community, many of whom regarded the statements as disrespectful to the memory of one of Nigeria’s most revered revivalists.

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CAC Reacts to Fatoyinbo’s Comments

In a strongly worded statement signed by its Director of Publicity, Pastor Aderinsoye Alawode, CAC dismissed Fatoyinbo’s views as biblically unsound and a misrepresentation of what true ministerial success entails.

“To equate anointing or ministerial success with material wealth is biblically flawed. The words of Jesus are clear: ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses’ (Luke 12:15),” Alawode noted.

Beyond doctrinal defence, CAC also sought to correct what it saw as misconceptions about Apostle Babalola’s family. Alawode emphasised that Babalola’s children have led meaningful lives, enjoying respectable careers in government service and leadership roles within the church.

“The children are alive and all of them are doing well in their various fields of endeavour. They have already retired from government service, and they are church leaders in their own right,” he clarified.

Babalola’s Family Responds

Apostle Babalola’s first daughter, Deaconess Eunice Ogini, also dismissed Fatoyinbo’s claims, describing her father’s legacy as both spiritual and familial. She stressed that while her father lived a life of simplicity, he bequeathed to his children enduring values of faith, service, and generosity.

According to her, the family has continued to live comfortably, shaped by the principles of humility and dedication that Babalola instilled. She rejected the notion that her father’s ministry amounted to “grace wasted” simply because he did not amass material riches.

Fatoyinbo’s Apology

Amid mounting criticism, Fatoyinbo issued a public apology on Thursday, August 14, clarifying that he never intended to belittle Apostle Babalola or his family.

“I would never in any way or manner take lightly the grace over Apostle Babalola, his children or his ministry for granted. I apologise if any statement made by me has caused any form of distress, hurt or discontentment to the CAC, the family of the late Apostle Babalola or his associates,” he stated.

The COZA pastor further acknowledged the significance of Babalola’s spiritual impact on the Nigerian church and reassured that his comments were not made out of malice but rather miscommunication.

CAC Accepts With Grace

In a follow-up interview with Punch, Pastor Alawode confirmed that CAC had accepted Fatoyinbo’s apology in good faith. He commended the COZA leader for showing remorse and for making efforts to correct the misinterpretation of his earlier remarks.

“He realised that the statement he made evoked some feelings in some people, and he took steps to correct himself. That is what is needed; it means he has shown remorse,” Alawode said.

He reiterated that CAC’s response was not to vilify Fatoyinbo but to set the record straight on biblical truth and to defend the memory of Apostle Babalola, who remains a towering figure in Nigerian Pentecostalism.

Legacy of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola

Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola (1904–1959) is widely revered as the founding figure of the Christ Apostolic Church, known for his powerful revival movements, prayer life, and unwavering devotion to God. His ministry in the 1930s sparked spiritual renewal across Nigeria, marking him as one of the most influential Christian leaders of his generation.

For many CAC members, Babalola’s enduring legacy is not in material possessions but in the millions of lives transformed through his ministry and the continuing growth of the church he established.

The controversy has now been laid to rest, with both CAC and Fatoyinbo moving forward in mutual respect. The episode, however, has reignited a broader conversation within Nigerian Christianity about the balance between spiritual calling and material prosperity, and how the legacies of past church leaders should be honoured.