The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria has announced plans to hold a posthumous thanksgiving service in honour of Pa Uma Ukpai during its 40th anniversary celebrations scheduled to begin on October 19, 2025.
Ukpai, who died on October 6, 2025, at the age of 80, was one of the founding figures of the PFN.
Speaking at a press conference in Uyo on Wednesday, the PFN National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, said the celebration would take place simultaneously across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Wale Oke, represented by the National Secretary, Bishop David Bakare, said the late minister had been chosen as the sole preacher for the anniversary before his passing.
He said, “We expected that he would be the main preacher at the celebration, the 40th anniversary, and now that he’s not here, we decided that we’re going to make that 40th anniversary a celebration of all Baba’s good works while he was here with us.
“So, on the 19th, being the Sunday of this month, all the 36 states of Nigeria plus the FCT will hold a thanksgiving service and an award service to celebrate all icons who have been of great blessings to the PFN. And of course, in all the 36 states plus the FCT, Baba will be officially celebrated.
”And if you are part of that service, you will see what we’re going to do. We’re going to celebrate, we’re going to rejoice, we’re going to give thanks to the Lord for giving us such a great icon that we can never forget”
Bakare further disclosed that the PFN leadership had visited Ukpai’s widow to commiserate and pray with the family.
“The National President is unavoidably absent because he’s out of the country, and he had asked me to lead a team of these eminent men to be here to visit Mama, commiserate with the family officially,” he said
