Anglican lay leaders in the Diocese of Sapele have once again blocked the Rt. Rev. Blessing Erifeta from resuming episcopal duties, exposing a long‑running crisis in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) over governance, money and episcopal authority.

On Sunday 18 January 2026, worship at St Luke’s Cathedral in Sapele, Delta State, was disrupted when Bishop Erifeta arrived with an entourage and security personnel, reportedly to resume as substantive bishop of the diocese almost a decade after being asked to step aside.  Congregants, many of them women, barred his entry to the cathedral precincts, effectively preventing him from taking part in the service or exercising any public ministry.[2][4][9][5]

Protesters carried placards reading “No to embezzlement of our funds”, “We do not want Erifeta back again”, “Enough is enough of underdevelopment in Sapele Diocese” and “Primate, translate Erifeta to other areas,” signalling that their opposition is rooted in long‑standing financial and administrative grievances rather than a sudden dispute.  After a tense standoff, Erifeta and his party withdrew from the cathedral, though local sources claim he has vowed to return and reassert his claim to the see.

Lay officers and clergy who spoke to local media accused the bishop of financial mismanagement and presiding over years of stagnation in the diocese.  They allege that during his previous tenure diocesan infrastructure deteriorated, clergy went unpaid or suffered delayed stipends, and promotions and postings were handled in a way that bred division rather than growth.

By contrast, leaders of what is locally called the “Rescue Group of Churches” say that after Erifeta was directed to step aside the diocese experienced “unprecedented development,” citing prompt payment of clergy, merit-based promotions and visible improvements to cathedral facilities such as paved floors, walkways and landscaping.  For many parishioners, these visible changes have become proof that the diocese flourishes without the bishop and would be plunged back into crisis if he were restored.

The protesters’ placards also reveal unease with the Church of Nigeria’s national leadership and the office of the Primate.  Parishioners in Sapele say they became aware of Erifeta’s attempted return after learning of a letter allegedly issued from Abuja indicating that the Primate intended him to resume in the diocese, despite the unresolved accusations that led to his removal.

Local clergy and lay leaders have publicly appealed to the Primate to “translate” Erifeta to another diocese “in the interest of peace,” arguing that any imposed settlement that disregards the conscience of the diocese will deepen the conflict.  They have also called on the Delta State Government and “all well‑meaning Nigerians” to intervene, signalling that the dispute now carries political as well as ecclesial overtones.

In 2015 the cathedral congregation locked Bishop Erifeta out of the cathedral during a pastoral visitation, prompting him to lock the congregation out also, leaving them to worship outdoors under tents along the Boyo road. Events reached a head in July 2016 when a clash between soldiers and protesters at the diocesan synod meeting at St John’s Anglican Church in Amukpe in Southern Nigeria’s Edo State in the Niger Delta left five people hospitalized.

In November 2016  a provincial committee under the Bishop of Warri met to review the charges, but the hearing broke down. On 23 March 2017 a statement from the office of the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh was released under the signature of the Church of Nigeria’s General Secretary, the Ven. Stephen Fagbemi, addressing the Sapele split, urged the cathedral congregation to respect the bishop’s authority. No resolution was found at that time to the split.

For now, Sapele’s cathedral remains effectively closed to its canonical bishop by the actions of its own congregation, leaving the diocese in a state of de facto vacancy even if not formally declared so by Abuja.  Any lasting settlement will require the Primate and House of Bishops to decide whether to insist upon Erifeta’s return, translate him elsewhere, or regularise the current “rescue” leadership that has won the confidence of local clergy and laity.

This confrontation in Sapele unfolds against a broader backdrop of contested authority in the Church of Nigeria, where episcopal discipline and primatial power have come under scrutiny in other cases.  In recent years several high‑profile disciplinary actions, including the suspension of bishops for alleged disobedience to the Primate and synod, have sparked debate about process, transparency and the balance between canonical order and personal loyalty.

The Sapele standoff also illustrates the growing willingness of Nigerian Anglicans at parish level to resist what they perceive as top‑down decisions, using protests, media statements and social media campaigns to press their case.  While Church of Nigeria leaders have positioned the province as a champion of doctrinal orthodoxy within the wider Anglican realignment, internal disputes such as Sapele expose unresolved questions about how authority is exercised within the province itself.