As November election draws closer, Bishop Ande Emmanuel says the church’s process—not personal endorsement—will determine the new Bishop.
By Keke Jako, Religion Correspondent, August 28, 2026.
In church politics, succession is rarely just about who occupies a seat.
It is often about influence, continuity, trust, theology, administration and, sometimes, the direction an institution takes after a change of leadership.
That reality is beginning to unfold within the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN) as the denomination prepares for the election of a new Bishop for its newly created Episcopal Area.
With November approaching, speculation over possible successors has intensified, with names of senior clergy increasingly featuring in conversations among church members and stakeholders.
But one man whose endorsement could potentially influence the contest has publicly denied throwing his weight behind any aspirant.
Bishop Ande Emmanuel, who currently provides episcopal leadership to the United Methodist Church Nigeria Episcopal Area, says he has not anointed, endorsed or selected anyone for the Bishop election .
His message is unequivocal: the next Bishop will emerge through the church’s established electoral process.
Bishop Emmanuel made the clarification while responding to questions from journalists at the closing session of a five-day Peace Talk in Jalingo, Taraba State.
According to him, episcopal succession in the United Methodist Church is not a matter of personal appointment by the incumbent Bishop.
“No, the United Methodist Church has a process of electing a Bishop. Every elder that is full connection and in good standing can be elected and consecrated as a Bishop, and there is no exemption.”
He further explained that qualified elders are subject to the same process, while the ultimate decision rests with the delegates participating in the election.
“Any elder in the United Methodist is being tried for this, and anyone that the delegates elected becomes the Bishop,” he said.
For Bishop Emmanuel, therefore, rumours of an already anointed successor do not reflect the reality of the process.
He described the alleged movement as unfounded and false, effectively distancing himself from any campaign or political arrangement built around the claim that the incumbent has already chosen his successor.
The forthcoming election is taking place against the backdrop of an important administrative development within the Nigerian church the creation of a new Episcopal Area.
The restructuring is expected to distribute episcopal responsibilities more effectively within Nigeria.
The significance becomes clearer when the scope of Bishop Emmanuel’s current responsibilities is considered. Beyond his Nigerian assignment, the Bishop has responsibilities connected to districts in Cameroon, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau.
The emergence of another Episcopal Area could therefore provide a new administrative structure for a church that has had to navigate a complex period of leadership transition, institutional restructuring and internal tensions.
UMCN has, in recent years, faced significant leadership and organisational challenges. Bishop Emmanuel has publicly emphasised reconciliation, unity and the strengthening of the church’s mission. Independent reporting has also documented the denomination's efforts to move beyond the divisions that followed the emergence of a breakaway Global Methodist Church structure in Nigeria.
Against that background, the November episcopal election is more than a routine leadership exercise.
It could help shape the next phase of the church.
Although the Bishop has denied endorsing anyone, speculation over possible contenders has not disappeared.
Available reports and political feelers within church circles have linked three senior clergy to possible interest in the episcopal position.
They include Reverend Doctor Philip Micah Dopah, Dean of Cabinet Affairs and Director of Connectional Ministries of the Southern Conference; Reverend Doctor Eunice Iliya, Administrative Secretary to the Bishop; and Reverend Abainatus Akila Hamman Jnr.
Reports circulating online have also described the three as figures attracting attention ahead of the contest.
However, the existence of such reports should not be interpreted as official confirmation that all three have formally declared their candidacies or that they have been cleared by the appropriate church structures.
That distinction is important.
In an episcopal contest governed by rules and eligibility requirements, popularity, speculation or perceived support does not automatically translate into candidacy—or victory.
Perhaps the most consequential part of Bishop Emmanuel's statement is his emphasis on the delegates.
By stressing that “anyone that the delegates elected becomes the Bishop,” he shifts attention away from the incumbent and towards the electorate.
That could prove significant as lobbying, consultations and internal conversations intensify ahead of November.
The Bishop's position also provides a measure of institutional reassurance to clergy and laity who may be concerned that the transition could be predetermined.
Rather than a succession arrangement in which the incumbent simply hands over to a preferred candidate, Emmanuel's explanation presents the election as a contest in which eligible elders stand before the delegates and allow the established process to determine the outcome.
The emerging race should not, however, be reduced to a contest between names.
Whoever eventually emerges will inherit an institution undergoing an important period of consolidation.
The new Bishop will be expected to provide spiritual leadership while also navigating administrative responsibilities, strengthening relationships among conferences and districts, promoting connectional ministry and maintaining unity among clergy and laity.
The successful candidate will also inherit the expectations of a church that has experienced considerable turbulence.
Recent developments within UMCN have placed a premium on reconciliation and institutional stability. Bishop Emmanuel himself has called for healing and dialogue following the legal and organisational disputes involving the breakaway Global Methodist movement.
Consequently, the next Bishop's ability to unite rather than divide may prove just as important as his or her administrative credentials.
The November election could therefore become a defining moment for the new Episcopal Area.
For the aspirants, it will be a test of relationships, credibility, pastoral experience and their ability to convince delegates that they can provide effective leadership.
For the delegates, it will be an opportunity to exercise the responsibility entrusted to them by the church.
And for Bishop Emmanuel, his declaration that he has no anointed successor places him in a position where the eventual outcome will be judged against the process he has publicly defended.
The months ahead are likely to witness increased consultations, conversations and permutations within the church.
But one thing is now clear.
There is no officially anointed successor—at least according to Bishop Ande Emmanuel.
The incumbent has handed the question back to the institution.
And when the delegates gather in November, it will not be Bishop Emmanuel's preferred candidate who automatically inherits the episcopal mantle.
It will be the person who wins the confidence of the delegates through the process of the United Methodist Church.
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