The crisis rocking the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) deepened on Sunday, October 18, 2026, after the Diocesan Board of the Diocese of Awka emphatically rejected a directive by the Primate of the Church, His Grace, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, ordering Archbishop Alexander Ibezim to proceed on a six-month compulsory leave.
The Diocesan Board convened an emergency meeting on Sunday morning at the Chapel of Divine Favour, Archbishop’s Palace, Ifite-Awka, Anambra State. In a communiqué issued to journalists immediately following the session, the Board declared the Primate’s order unconstitutional, null, and void, while threatening to sever ties with the Church of Nigeria and return to the jurisdiction of the Church of England if the decision is not reversed.
The communique was jointly signed and presented on behalf of the Board by Sir B.E.I. Nwofor, SAN, Lord Chancellor of the Diocese of Awka. Venerable K.E.N. Chukwukamma -Synod Secretary and Mr. Eugene Chukwudi Okonkwo, Lay Synod Secretary.
The dispute follows a letter dated October 13, 2026, in which Primate Henry Ndukuba directed Most Rev. Alexander Ibezim, the Archbishop of the Province of the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese, to proceed on six months’ compulsory leave with immediate effect.
The Primate’s letter cited pending investigations into allegations of financial management issues and unauthorized sales of church properties. Under the directive, Archbishop Ibezim was barred from officiating or partaking in any ecclesiastical activities across the diocese, province, and national church during the six-month period.
Rt. Rev. Samuel Ezeofor, Bishop of the Aguata Diocese, was appointed as Supervising Bishop of Awka Diocese and Coordinating Bishop of the Province of the Niger in the interim.
Speaking at the post-meeting briefing in Awka, Lord Chancellor Sir B.E.I. Nwofor, SAN, highlighted the legal grounds for the diocese’s rejection:
The Board argued that Section 29(1) of the Constitution and Canons of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 2020, cited by Primate Ndukuba, contains no provision empowering the Primate to unilaterally force an Archbishop or Bishop onto compulsory leave or delegate his canonical responsibilities to another bishop.
The Board emphasized that the dispute is active before the secular courts and subject to pending litigations at the Anambra State High Court: Suit No. A/Misc. 446/2025 (involving Ibezim and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission).
Suit No. A/Misc. 494/2026 (involving Ibezim, the Inspector-General of Police, and others) and Suit No. A/371/2026 (filed directly by Ibezim against Primate Ndukuba and others).
”The Primate cannot bypass the law while matters are actively pending in court. The Board emphatically rejects the directive in its entirety and calls on the Primate to refrain from taking further actions that violate church canons and civil laws.” said Sir B.E.I. Nwofor, SAN, Lord Chancellor of Awka Diocese
The communiqué instructed all clergy, boards, and parish institutions across the Diocese of Awka to remain loyal strictly to Archbishop Ibezim and ignore any instructions or oversight from Rt. Rev. Samuel Ezeofor.
The Board warned that any further attempts by external church officials to enforce the administrative changes in Awka would prompt legal enforcement through civil law agencies.
Most critically, the communique concluded with an ultimatum stating that persistent interference in Awka’s local administration would force the diocese to withdraw from the Church of Nigeria and realign directly under the Church of England.
