African Church crises deepen as South-south issues quit notice to South-west Bishops

The protracted leadership tussle in the African Church took a different dimension as South-south leaders of the church reportedly issued a quit notice order on two Bishops South-western region.

Our correspondent gathered Sunday that Bishop James Bamiledele of Four towns branch of the church in Uyo, and the Archbishop of the Calabar Province,  A. A  Odufuwa were said to have been ordered to leave their stations after the return of the embattled Primate of the Church, Bishop Emmanuel Udofia.

The source at the helm of affairs in the church in Uyo disclosed that Edo and Delta states branches of the church have in addition to quitting bishops of Yoruba ethnic nationality from their states have threatened to breakaway, if the Western provinces of the church continued with the harassment of the Akwa Ibom born Primate, Dr Emmanuel Udofia.

Similarly, the Cross River states provinces also issued a threat to breakaway if the current Primate of the church is not allowed to complete his tenure

The decision our correspondent gathered was taken during the reception of the embattled Primate in Uyo, last weekend.

It was also gathered at the reception that Udofia is currently being threatened with sack if he fails to vacate office as primate by next month when he shall have turned 60.

The relocation the church source said became necessary as a result of series of alleged threats to his life and that of his family by some parishioners of the church in Lagos.

The vice lay president of Warri Diocese, Mr Ezekiel Okorode,who spoke at Dr Udofia’s reception in Uyo, said the indignities to which the Western Provinces of the church had subjected the primate were in a way, bringing victory to Calabar and Rivers provinces.

He said: “Today is a day of victory for our provinces. We have taken a step that will not be easy to reverse. We have told those bishops from the West to go back to their people. They don’t like us and so we can’t like them. The Western provinces must retrace their steps and apologize else it is backward never; forward ever,”

Okorode wondered why Udofia, the only primate of African Church who is a non-yoruba in the 118-year life of the church could be humiliated by the Western provinces, saying that, “in that case there is no basis for the continuous pretence to be together.

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