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Alleged utterances: Ndukuba lacks powers to suspend Adebogun — Falana

Published

1 year ago

February 5, 2024

Following the suspension of Rev Olukayode Adebogun as a Bishop of the Church of Nigeria, over alleged breaches of the church’s Constitution and Canons, human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday, said the Archbishop of Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria, St. Matthias House, Rev. Henry Ndukuba, lacked the power to unilaterally suspend Adebogun.

Falana, in a letter addressed to Ndukuba, stated that the purported suspension was an infringement of Adebogun’s fundamental right to fair hearing.

The statement reads: “We are Solicitors to Rt. Rev. Olukayode Adebogun, the Area Bishop for Canada Missionary Region Area 1 in Canada (hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’) on whose behalf and instructions we write this letter.

“Your letter entitled ‘Letter of Suspension as Bishop of the Church of Nigeria and Connam Missionary Bishop of Canada Missionary’ and dated January 30, 2024, has been forwarded on us for necessary action.

“In the said letter, Your Grace referred to the series of utterances attributed to our client ‘that seek to undermine the authority of the Primate of the Church of Nigeria and the General Synod of the Church of Nigeria with regard to the Church of Nigeria Mission in North America and Canada generally.

“Your Grace also referred to the series of utterances and actions attributed to our client ‘in disobedience of and designed to undermine the express lawful directives and authority of the Primate of the Church of Nigeria and the General Synod of the Church of Nigeria with regard to decisions lawfully taken by the General Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).’

“However, Your Grace concluded that ‘These utterances and actions if found to be true constitute acts of canonical disobedience in breach of the provisions of Section 22 of Chapter III of the Constitution and Canons of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).”