Crisis Deepens At ECWA Church Abuja As Members Demand ‘Reverend Must Go’
The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) is grappling with rising tensions as members demand the implementation of the investigative committee’s recommendation to transfer Rev. Nashon Azaki from ECWA Wuse, Abuja.
According to SaharaReporters, the crisis has escalated further and led to the resignation of five elders out of 11 on the church board’s of elders, the aggrieved members said on Saturday.
The embattled Senior Pastor, Rev Nashon Azaki, has been under investigation over alleged sexual harassment since January 2025, when concerned church members of the church submitted a petition to ECWA Headquarters calling for his removal.
The petition was supported by a letter from Dr. George Ogunyomi, a legal practitioner acting on behalf of these members.
In the letter, sent on February 3, 2025, Ogunyomi accused the pastor of breaching ECWA’s ethical guidelines and criticised the leadership for allowing him to remain in his position despite the mounting evidence of his misconduct.
Some concerned members of the church said that despite an official announcement by ECWA Executive to representatives of ECWA Wuse II on April 15, 2025, to implement the recommendations of the committee, nothing has been done.
Over five weeks later, Rev. Azaki remains in office, and this inaction has sparked outrage among members.
Reacting to the development, the ECWA General Secretary, Rev. Ayuba Asheshe said the church has a protocol for handling every matter, and as such has handed the recommendations of the investigative committee to the Garki District Church Council (DCC) for implementation.
Sources revealed that influential figures within the denomination, including a former ECWA president, have pressured the leadership to retain Rev. Azaki, defying the findings of the last Investigative Committee. That committee concluded that his continued presence is detrimental to the church’s unity and peace.
The ECWA Executive had pledged to follow the Investigative Committee’s recommendations, which included the transfer of Rev. Azaki and the dissolution of the existing Elders’ Board. Yet, no progress has been made, leading many to question the Executive’s integrity and commitment to reform.
According to church members, those resisting Rev. Azaki’s transfer are largely driven by personal interest, with some reportedly benefitting from financial support for medical travel and other perks.
Calls for a financial audit, also recommended by the Investigative Committee, have grown louder.
Members believe such an audit would expose conflicts of interest involving key figures within ECWA.
The concerned members said that without swift and decisive action, the crisis will not only deepen, but continue to erode the church’s moral and spiritual foundation.
