The Baptist Convention has indicated that the process of appointment of Rev Israel Akanji as the next President of the Convention would not be concluded until April when the Convention convenes.
The decision making body of the church on Tuesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital said Akanji’s appointment is subject to the approval of the Convention-in-Session which is slated for the beginning of the second quarter in the year.
The disclosure was necessitated by the viral report in the social media erroneously stating that the nominee had been confirmed as the Convention’s president.
A statement titled, ‘Update on the search for the new President,’ signed by the Public Relations Officer to the Convention, Pastor Eben Durodola, made available to journalists in Ibadan, read, “The Executive Committee of the Nigerian Baptist Convention has accepted the recommendation and nomination of Rev Dr Israel Akanji as the next President of the Convention.
“This was sequel to the report submitted to the Executive Committee of the Convention by the Search Committee for the President charged with the responsibility of getting a new President through the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the Baptist Family.
“Rev Akanji will be presented to the Convention-in-Session in April 2021 for the final ratification as the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. The Convention-In-Session is the highest decision-making body of the Nigerian Baptist Convention and if the Executive Committee’s recommendation is adopted and ratified by the Convention-In-Session in April, Rev Dr.Akanji will assume office on June 1.
“By the rules guiding the appointment of the President of our great Convention, a Search Committee for the President was set up on December 3, 2019 by the Executive Committee of the Convention and inaugurated by the current President, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, on January 3, 2020 with the mandate to search for and recommend a new President for the Convention through the Executive Committee.
“The report recommended Rev. Dr. Israel Adelani Akanji as the next President of the Convention. This recommendation will be presented to the Convention family in April during the Annual Convention in Session for approval and ratification.
“The Convention family is admonished that the process is still ongoing and have not been concluded yet. It should be noted also that nobody has anointed Rev Akanji nor any anointing service was conducted for him as being reported in the social media.
“Our tradition as to the appointment of the President of the Convention remains Sacrosanct and no deviation from the process has been recorded so far. The President of our great Convention, Rev. Dr. Ayokunle, and the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, therefore, commended the diligence and commitment of the Search Committee members through prayers in arriving at their recommendation without any hitch or rancour.”
