• Says review administrative innovations, not biblical commands.

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has officially relaxed some of the church’s strict marriage regulations, clarifying that they were administrative practices rather than biblical commandments.

Speaking at the 2025 Global Family and Marriage Conference on Sunday, Kumuyi announced that the long-standing restriction which barred a woman from visiting her fiancé before marriage has been lifted. Couples can now meet during courtship, but only in the presence of an elder.

He also confirmed that the previously mandatory six-month courtship period is no longer compulsory, stressing that it was never grounded in scripture. “We just felt you need some time to know one another. And then we said one month will be too short, two months too short. So, why not six months? But it is not from the Bible,” Kumuyi explained.

The cleric urged Christians to distinguish between divine instructions and church traditions. “As a Christian, you need to be so mature that you know the difference between the law of God and the principles in the church. Six months is all right, but it’s not something inflexible. If we change it to three months, we’re not changing the Bible, because six months is not in the Bible,” he added.

On the issue of marriage committees, Kumuyi clarified that their purpose was purely advisory. “There’s no marriage committee in the New Testament. We created it to help you, not because we can give you a chapter and a verse. It is church administration,” he said, warning leaders not to extend their authority beyond what scripture permits.

This adjustment follows a wider review of church practices that Kumuyi has described as administrative innovations, not biblical commands.

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, on the Sunday Politics programme aired by Channels Television, warned that Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election might fail to produce a clear winner in the opening round, potentially forcing a runoff — and he asserted that President Tinubu would not even make the top two.

Reflecting on past results, el-Rufai noted his own shortfall in delivering Kaduna State to Tinubu despite backing his campaign: “Bola Tinubu himself couldn’t win his state with his own governor in place.”

He went further, saying that he had done the analytics and based on performance and voter sentiments, “Bola Tinubu will, at best, be third in the election” — making him ineligible for a runoff.

El-Rufai challenged assumptions that holding power equates to victory. He told Tinubu to recall the case of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, saying: “Invite ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for a chat… he didn’t have all this in 2015, and we got him out.”

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, today, Sunday, August. 31, formally accepted the hosting rights for the 2025 Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards, marking the 17th edition of the prestigious pan-Nigeria, annual event.

The presentation took place at the Lagos House, Marina, where the governor received a delegation of Nollywood stars including Segun Arinze, Biola Adebayo, Femi Branch, Wole Ojo, and Scarlet Gomez, along with BON Awards founder, Seun Oloketuyi, and the Executive Director, Feranmi Olaoye.

The event, which was also witnessed by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Toke Benson- Awoyinka, highlights the Lagos State Government’s commitment to supporting the creative industry.

During the presentation, the governor commended the organisers for their ambitious plan to attempt a Guinness World Record for the longest red carpet, spanning an impressive 8 kilometers.
In his address, Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke on the importance of government support for the creative sector, beyond just financial sponsorship. “Sometimes, it’s difficult to quantify what we do, but we know too well that the industry needs support. The sector needs to be elevated and encouraged.”

He added, “Everything that we’re doing should be thought of around the benefits that come, not necessarily to us as a government, but, in a way that people will appreciate. It’s certainly not about us, it’s not about the ministry; it is about the people, that’s the whole context for us.

“We are also very intentional about helping the creative industry give opportunities and voices to the voiceless that may not get the opportunity to be heard. More importantly, also help in terms of employment generation and wealth creation, ensuring that we can support a huge demographic of young people,” the governor added, linking the vision to the state’s broader economic agenda.

“For us, it’s really not just about supporting or sponsoring; it’s more around ensuring that the sector has the kind of support that is needed.”
In his statement, Oloketuyi, reiterated that while BON Awards began in Lagos, in the last 17 years, it has visited all six geo-political zones of the country and has yet to return to Lagos. He shared that the awards has been hosted by states like Kwara, Kano, Imo, Oyo, Osun, Kogi, Ondo and more.

Billed to hold on Sunday, December 14 at the Federal Palace Hotel, V/I, Lagos, the event promises to add even more colour to the annual Detty December season thatbhas become Lagos’ flagship Yuletide celebration.

The Best of Nollywood Awards, founded by Seun Oloketuyi, is a celebrated platform that honours outstanding achievements in the Nigerian film industry. The decision to host the 2025 edition in Lagos is a strategic move, solidifying the state’s status as the heart of Nigeria’s creative economy and providing a grand stage for the industry’s biggest night.