ANAMBRA, Nigeria — The leadership crisis in the Awka Diocese of the Anglican Communion has escalated, with the diocesan Chancellor, B. E. Nwofor (SAN), demanding N5 billion in damages from the Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ezeofor, over his alleged removal from office.
Nwofor has also demanded the withdrawal of Ezeofor’s letter announcing his removal as Chancellor and a public apology, threatening to institute legal proceedings if the demands are not met within stipulated deadlines.
The dispute stems from the suspension of Archbishop Alexander Ibezim by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, who directed the Awka diocesan bishop to proceed on six months’ leave to allow an investigation into allegations against him, reports Vanguard.
Following Ibezim’s suspension, Ndukuba appointed Ezeofor as administrator of the Awka Diocese.
However, the Awka Diocesan Board, headed by Nwofor, rejected the arrangement, insisting that Ezeofor should concentrate on his responsibilities as Bishop of Aguata Diocese.
The board argued that the diocese’s governing provisions did not recognise the office of a supervising bishop or authorise Ezeofor to exercise such powers over the Awka Diocese.
The disagreement escalated when Ezeofor announced Nwofor’s immediate removal as Chancellor, prompting the senior advocate to challenge the legality of the decision.
In a strongly worded letter titled Removal as the Chancellor of the Diocese of Awka (Anglican Communion), Nwofor accused Ezeofor of making a libellous publication and issued three demands.
He demanded that Ezeofor withdraw the letter within 24 hours of receiving his own letter, publish an unqualified public apology within 48 hours, and pay N5 billion in damages within seven days.
The apology, he insisted, must receive the same level of publicity across print, electronic and online media as the allegedly offensive publication.
Nwofor warned that failure to comply would result in legal action.
“Take notice that if you fail, refuse or neglect to comply with these demands, I will institute an action in court against Your Lordship to obtain redress. Your Lordship is not above the law,” he stated.
Challenges appointment in court
The Chancellor questioned Ezeofor’s authority to remove him, maintaining that the office of a supervising bishop did not exist under the Diocese of Awka’s Constitution and Regulations, 2023.
He argued that the governing document contained clear provisions for administering the diocese during the absence of its bishop and had been approved by the Church of Nigeria Standing Committee on September 14, 2023.
“Your Lordship cannot write any letter in the name of an office which does not exist,” Nwofor said.
He further disclosed that Ezeofor’s appointment as administrator was already being challenged before the Anambra State High Court in Suit No. A/371/2026.
According to him, a separate pending motion, No. A/1795m/2026, seeks to set aside the appointment letter.
Nwofor alleged that the statements in Ezeofor’s letter had damaged his reputation and exposed him to public ridicule.
“By the offensive and false words contained in Your Lordship’s letter, Your Lordship has deliberately done damage to my credit and reputation and I have been exposed to scandal, odium and contempt,” he said.
The Chancellor maintained that his removal could only be effected under specific circumstances stipulated in the diocese’s governing regulations.
Insists tenure remains valid
Citing the Diocese of Awka’s Constitution and Regulations, 2023, Nwofor listed the circumstances under which a member of the legal team could cease to hold office.
These include death, resignation, loss of the office by virtue of which the person was appointed, bankruptcy, a declaration of insanity by a competent authority, or conviction for a criminal offence involving moral turpitude or another offence under Canon XV of the Canons of the Church of Nigeria.
He argued that none of these conditions applied to him, insisting that his tenure as Chancellor remained valid.
“My tenure of office is still subsisting and I remain the incumbent Chancellor of the Diocese of Awka (Anglican Communion),” he declared.
Nwofor also relied on the diocese’s constitutional provisions governing its administration during the absence of a bishop.
He maintained that Archbishop Ibezim and the Chancellor were empowered to make arrangements for the administration of the diocese during the Archbishop’s absence by appointing an administrator with the same authority and jurisdiction as the bishop.
He further argued that even where a bishop dies or resigns, an appointed administrator would retain his authority until the Primate issued an order regulating the administration of the diocese during the vacancy.
According to Nwofor, neither death nor resignation had occurred in Ibezim’s case to warrant such an order by the Primate.
The dispute has therefore raised competing questions about the authority of the Primate to appoint an administrator, the interpretation of the Awka Diocese’s governing provisions and the tenure of its Chancellor.
With the appointment already being challenged in court and Nwofor threatening a separate legal action over his alleged removal, the leadership dispute threatens to deepen divisions within the diocese.
