Trouble is brewing in the Apostolic Christian Church Mission, ACCM, with its national headquarters at 34 Omuma Road, Aba, Abia State, over the installation of a new President.
Vanguard gathered that contrary to the Constitution of the Church, two Apostles and the surviving members of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Church are set to install a new President of the Church after the death of the immediate past President, Rev. Apostle John Alozie Nwugbor, on October 26,2021.
It was further gathered that the two apostles have fixed January 7 as the date to hold a convention to install a new president before the burial of the late president without the BoT of the Church duly constituted in accordance with the Constitution.
Dissatisfied with the action of the Apostles, the laity of the Church has filed a suit at an Abia State High Court sitting in Aba.
The suit is praying for an injunction restraining the Apostles from installing a new president before the burial of the former president without the BoT duly constituted.
Vanguard also gathered that the Church operates a seven-man BoT, in which three members can form quorum to install a new President.
However, only two members of the BoT are alive and can’t elect a new president according to the Church’s Constitution.
The suit is between Hon. Elder Godwin Nna; Elder Okechukwu Newman; Elder Hanson Amaechi; Eze Elder Prof. Sunday Owualah and five others representing the laity as claimants/applicants and Rev. Apostle Paul Chukwuma Erondu, Rev. Apostle Ephraim Omeonu Akwarandu and the incorporated trustees of the ACCM as defendants/respondents.
The the laity stated that the convocation of a convention for the installation of a new president of the church when the immediate past president had not been buried is in contravention of the Constitution of the Church.
“That the Church being an incorporated trusteeship is a constitutional church and its operations as well as activities, powers, duties, and function of every officer in person, body, organ or authority are well regulated and ran in accordance with the provisions of the extant Constitution of the Church.
“That by the provisions of the Constitution of the Church, particularly article 7(1)(j), a new president of the Church can only be installed by the Trustees of the Church after the burial of the late president.
“That by the combined reading of Articles 6(E) (i, iv and vii) of the Church Constitution, only two members cannot constitute, act and carry out the duties of the Registered Trustees of the Apostolic Christian Church Mission.”
