By Our Correspondent
The Archbishop of the Province of the Niger and Bishop of the Diocese of Awka in the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim, has instituted legal proceedings against the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Henry C. Ndukuba, over moves to subject him to disciplinary action.
In an originating summons filed on October 13, 2026, at the High Court of Anambra State, Awka Judicial Division, Ibezim is asking the court to interpret relevant provisions of the 2020 Constitution and Canons of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) governing disciplinary proceedings against serving diocesan bishops.
Ndukuba is listed as the first defendant, while the Dean of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Blessing Enyindah, who chairs a visitation team to the Diocese of Awka, is the second defendant.
The suit challenges the legality of the visitation team, which Ibezim describes as “illegally constituted” by the Primate in a letter dated June 17, 2026.
At the heart of the legal dispute is the procedure for disciplining a serving diocesan bishop and the extent to which the Church’s governing laws must be observed before any sanction can be imposed.
In his first prayer, Ibezim is seeking a declaration that the procedure for disciplining a serving diocesan bishop is expressly provided for under sections 55 and 75 to 76 of the Church’s 2020 Constitution, as well as sections 22 to 28 of Canon XVI.
He wants the court to affirm that the prescribed procedure must be strictly followed before any disciplinary measure, including suspension or removal from office as Bishop of Awka and Archbishop of the Province of the Niger, can be imposed on him.
The archbishop is also seeking a declaration that at least one of the 10 offences listed under section 1 of Canon XVI must be established before disciplinary action can lawfully be taken against him.
The provisions identify offences for which senior clerics, including the Primate, archbishops, bishops, priests and deacons, may be tried under the Church’s disciplinary framework.
In a third prayer, Ibezim is asking the court to determine the proper interpretation and application of a series of constitutional and canonical provisions relating to the duties, powers and responsibilities of various offices within the Church of Nigeria.
The provisions cited in the suit span Canons V, VI, VII, IX, XII, XIV, XV, XVI and XVII, underscoring the breadth of the legal questions the claimant wants the court to resolve.
The defendants are listed at St Matthias House, Plot 942, Ibrahim Waziri Crescent, Gudu District, Apo, Abuja. They have 42 days from the date of service of the originating summons to enter an appearance.
The filing represents an unusual public legal confrontation within the leadership of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), bringing questions about ecclesiastical discipline, canonical procedure and the authority of senior Church officials before a state high court.
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The outcome of the proceedings could clarify the interpretation of the Church’s constitutional and canonical provisions governing disciplinary action against serving bishops.
Recall that in a letter dated October 13, 2026, the Primate had conveyed the decision of the Church of Nigeria to Archbishop Ibezim to proceed on compulsory leave for a period of six months until investigations into allegations involving him and the diocese is resolved.
