The ongoing controversy within the Akure Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has taken a new turn, as a concerned member, Mr. Abiodun Kayode, has publicly defended the Diocesan Bishop, the Most Rev. Simeon Oluwole Borokini, while strongly criticizing individuals who recently petitioned the Primate over alleged administrative and financial issues.
In a statement made available to journalists, Kayode described the petitioners as “self-appointed inquisitors” whose actions, he claimed, were aimed at discrediting the leadership of the Church rather than seeking genuine accountability.
The petition, reportedly addressed to the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, has generated debate within ecclesiastical circles, with calls for investigation into the leadership of the Akure Diocese. However, Kayode argued that the approach adopted by the petitioners undermines established Church procedures.
According to him, the Anglican Communion operates a structured system for addressing grievances, including the Synod and other ecclesiastical bodies, which he said were bypassed in the current situation.
“The Church has clear constitutional provisions for resolving disputes. Taking allegations directly to the Primate without exhausting internal mechanisms raises questions about intent,” he said.
Kayode further alleged that many of those behind the petition had contributed little to the growth and development of the diocese, adding that their actions could create unnecessary tension within the Church.
He warned that allowing such methods to persist could set a precedent capable of destabilizing the Church’s governance structure.
“If individuals begin to bypass due process, it could open the door to disorder and weaken institutional authority,” he stated.
The concerned member also dismissed the allegations against Bishop Borokini as unsubstantiated, insisting that the bishop and his wife had made significant contributions to the development of the diocese.
He called on members of the Anglican Communion to remain calm and prayerful, while urging the leadership of the Church to carefully handle the matter to avoid further division.
The situation continues to draw attention within the Church of Nigeria, with observers noting that how the matter is resolved could have broader implications for conflict resolution mechanisms within the Anglican Communion in the country.
FULL STATEMENT:
THE JUDGMENT OF THE CHURCH BELONGS TO GOD, NOT TO SELF-APPOINTED INQUISITORS
By Abiodun Kayode
A new breed of pretenders has emerged within the body of Christ. They are not builders, they are destroyers. They contribute little or nothing to the work of God, yet they have appointed themselves as prosecutors, judges and would-be executioners over the leadership of the Church.
Let us call them what they are: agents and enemies on a mission to put the Church of God in a bad image.
Their strategy is old but effective. They seek to humiliate and disgrace Church
leadership so that once the leaders are brought low, they can manipulate believers and seize control for their selfish, ungodly ends. This is not reformation, this is rebellion. This is not accountability; this is a witch hunt. These individuals are not in spirit but are anti-Christ.
Who Gave Them the Authority?
Let us ask a simple but piercing question: Who authorized these people to act on behalf of God to investigate the Church?
The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has clear structures, traditions and constitutional provisions for addressing grievances. If there were genuine concerns about a bishop, the proper channel is not a sensational petition to the Primate bypassing all
internal mechanisms. The proper channel is the Synod, the ecclesiastical hierarchy bodies ordained by God and the Church to exercise oversight.
But no. These individuals have not invited the bishop for questioning through the Synod. They have not followed due process. They have not allowed the Church to breathe. Instead, they wrote to the Primate and sent their false allegations to bloggers demanding an investigation into unproven, unsubstantiated and baseless allegations.
Why? Because their goal is not justice. Their goal is mischievous and selfish. They want a public lynching of character. They want the Church leadership dragged through the mud so that they, the self-appointed judges, can emerge as saviours.
What Have They Contributed?
The irony is unbearable. Many of these petitioners are people who have contributed little or nothing to the financial, spiritual, or physical growth of the diocese. They have not built fellowships not to talk of Churches. They have not supported missions. They have not sacrificed for the spread of the Gospel. Yet, they feel entitled to sit in judgment over a man and his wife who have given their lives to the service of God and the Church. They have really transformed Akure Diocese to an enviable position in Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.
The Apostle Paul warned us about these miscreants. In Romans 14:4, he asks: “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall.”
The judgment of the Church and its leaders belongs to God alone not to any individual with a personal vendetta, not to a woman who sabotaged her own husband’s career, not to a so-called convert who squandered church funds, and not to a tiny minority that cannot command the support of even one third of the diocese.
A Calculated Attempt to Bring Down the Church
Make no mistake about it. This is not about Bishop Borokini. The bishop and the wife are merely the target of the moment. This is a calculated, satanic attempt to bring down the Church itself.
These individuals wrote a petition driven by personal
grudges and a desire to evade accountability for their stolen funds.
The goal is to create a template for chaos: bypass the Synod, ignore the House of Bishops, write directly to the Primate, manufacture allegations, and demand an investigation. If this becomes the new norm, the Church will collapse into anarchy.
May God Save the Church
We say this with every fiber of our being: May God save the Church from those who want to forcefully control it. May God raise
a standard against these agents of destabilization. May the Primate and the relevant ecclesiastical authorities see through this charade and refuse to reward blackmail with legitimacy.
We call on all well-meaning members of the Anglican Communion to pray. Pray for Bishop Borokini and his family. Pray for the Diocese of Akure. And pray for the Church of Nigeria, that it will not be hijacked by a minority of evil-minded individuals who contribute nothing but seek to control everything.
As for us, we will not be silent. We will not bow, we will not watch while the Church is brought into disrepute by those who have no love for God but only a lust for power.
Enough is enough. The judgment of the Church belongs to God not to the anti-
Christ minority.
©️ Abiodun Kayode
Concerned Member, Akure Diocese
