The Lagos branch of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has expressed strong opposition to the election of Rt. Rev. Humphrey Olumakaiye as the new Bishop of Lagos, alleging that huge amount of money exchanged hand to influence his election.
A statement issued in Lagos at the weekend and signed by one Mr. Ade Doherty on behalf of members of the church and who claimed to be aggrieved over the said election, said that it was stage-managed and not influenced by the Holy Spirit and as such unacceptable.
The statement reads: “The so-called election of Olumakaiye at the recent conference of Bishops in Ilorin was a clear manipulation of the House of Bishops who were “teleguided” by both Ademowo and The Primate, the Most Revd. (Dr.) Nicholas Okoh.
“Of course, we have it on good authority that huge sums of money exchanged hands to facilitate the so-called election of Olumakaiye and majority of our members in Lagos stand united in opposition to this mischief. It is a charade and can never stand.”
They also claimed that such action by the House of Bishops was a way of trying to elongate the tenure of Ademowo even as it was alleged that he (Ademowo), in order to perfect the election manipulation, facilitated a multi-million Naira house for Primate Okoh in the Lekki area of Lagos.
They made references to Ademowo’s earlier statements and actions, they claimed, put paid to Olumakaiye’s emergence.
The aggrieved members further stated that their solicitors had prepared a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the alleged acquisition of the said Lekki property, the financial inducements in the House of Bishops, and the alleged porous accounts of the Lagos Diocese and women organizations in the Lagos Diocese, which they alleged was the reason “the succession at all costs is taking place.”
It would be recalled that during the recent Episcopal Synod of the Church in Ilorin, Kwara State, the leadership of the church in a statement by its General Secretary, Rt. Rev. (Dr.) Ayodeji Fagbemi, announced that a number of new Bishops and ArchBishops had been elected.
The Rt Rev. Olumakaiye, according to the statement, would be transiting from the Diocese of Osun North East to Lagos.
