The Lagos Times gathered that the crisis currently engulfing the Lagos Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has escalated into a legal free-for-all as ten prominent financial elders of the church have dragged the trustee of the church and five others kicking and screaming before a federal high court in Lagos.
The Lagos Times learnt that the aggrieved members are demanding an outright cancellation of the results of the recent Ecclesial Elections of the church on grounds that it was blatantly rigged. They are also insisting that the current bishop of Lagos Diocese Rev (Dr) Adebola Ademowo refund N260 million he allegedly collected from the church for his personal use.
The group of ten plaintiffs who individually and especially collectively wield enormous influence in the church are instituting the case on their own behalf and concurrently on behalf of concerned member of the Lagos diocese. They are Asiwaju Fola Osibo, Modupe Alakija, Chief Oluyomi Finnih, Chief Femi Adeniyi-Williams, Chief Layi Ajayi-Bembe, Mrs Laide Sasegbon; Mrs Modupe Sagoe, Mr Ade Abisogun, Mr Bukola Meadows, and Mrs Molara Otuyelu.
They are suing, individually and collectively, the trustees of the Church of Nigeria, the Lagos diocese of the Church of Nigeria, Reverend Nicholas Okoh, Rev Adebola Ademowo, Rev Humphrey Olumakaiye and Rev (Dr) Michael Fape.
In a statement of claim jointly filed by Olasupo Shasore (SAN) and Chijioke Okoli (SAN), the plaintiffs contended that the duo of Reverend Humphrey Olumakaiye and Reverend Michael Fape were put forward as candidates to replace Reverend Adebola Ademowo as the Bishop of Lagos Diocese at the expiration of his tenure.
They alleged that rather than be guided by the established principles contained in extant church regulations, Rev Ademowo openly displayed partisan support for one of the candidates, Rev Olumakaiye, and allegedly used his position as bishop to influence and arm-twist high ranking eligible voters including an influential primate Rev Nicholas Okoh, into supporting his preferred candidate.
The Lagos Times gathered that they claimed that Bishop Ademowo trampled the credibility of the elections into the dust by arranging for photographs of himself and Rev Olumakaiye to be put in the church’s calendar accompanied by footnotes describing Rev Olumakaiye as former’s “godson and successor”. He was also alleged to have induced the voting members with cash gifts and promises of appointments, thereby paving the way for the election of Rev Olumakaiye as the new bishop during the purported election of April 6, 2018.
The plaintiffs further averred that they wrote letters to Rev Nicholas Okoh complaining of the irregularities in the elections to which they received no satisfactory response. They alleged that the complaints they made against Reverend Ademowo which includes causing hatred and disaffection among church members, diverting church funds for personal use and placing family members in strategic positions were handled with kid gloves.
They contended that the Diocesan Board of Lagos, being the body that released the sums to Ademowo, cannot be relied on to act impartial in the matter. Moreover, since Rev Okoh, they contended, is one of the appointors of the Dean of the Church of Nigeria, a body set up by the dean to investigate allegations which implicate Rev Okoh cannot be relied on to be fair and impartial.
They are therefore seeking an order of court cancelling the election and directing a fresh election of the position of Bishop of Lagos Diocese. They also want the court to declare Rev Adebola’s receipt of N260 million from the diocesan board to be in breach of his duties and an order compelling him to return the amount with 22% interest from March 1, 2018 to date of final liquidation.
However, in a notice of preliminary objection, Reverend Ademowo through his lawyers contended that the plaintiffs’ case should be thrown out as they involve matters that fall under the domestic terrain of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion. He further contended that since the plaintiffs have not exhausted all avenues for reconciliation provided by the Church of Nigeria, the court should decline jurisdiction on the matter.
The board of trustees of the church in its own notice of preliminary objection filed by Olumide Sofora (SAN) claimed that the plaintiffs have no authority to institute the suit since there was no congregation or meeting of the synod investing them with the legal authority to file any suit on behalf of the general congregation of the Anglican communion.
The presiding judge in the case Justice Mojisola Olatoregun has however adjourned till Monday 21st of May, 2018 for hearing to commence.
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