‘His imposition violates our constitution’ — Kristo Asafo group rejects Akofena’s leadership

A brewing leadership crisis has hit the Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana following the outright rejection of Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena as the new leader and successor to the late founder, Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, by most members of the church, particularly in Kumasi.

Addressing a press conference in Kumasi, the leadership of the Bompata Branch, together with the former Deputy General Secretary of the Kristo Asafo Mission, Mr. Kwaku Boateng Agyenim, declared that the unilateral elevation of Akofena Kantanka constitutes an egregious breach of the church’s constitution.

The group maintained that the established succession protocol outlined in the Mission’s supreme governing document was bypassed, rendering the appointment illegitimate, void, and unacceptable to a significant portion of the congregation.

Mr. Kwaku Boateng Agyenim further indicated that this, among several other factors, is the reason aggrieved members have taken legal action to challenge the legitimacy of Akofena’s declaration, noting that the matter is currently pending judicial determination.

“Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena is still not accepted as the leader of the church. The case has been filed in court, and we are waiting for judgment. The church belongs to all of us. We must ensure that due process, as enshrined in the constitution, is strictly used to choose our leader so that peace will prevail. We believe the court will settle the matter fairly, and we call for a fast‑tracking of the process,” Mr. Agyenim Boateng stated.

The former Deputy General Secretary warned that abandoning constitutional provisions sets a dangerous precedent, stressing that no individual or faction has the mandate to impose leadership on the church without adhering to statutory procedures.

Addressing circulating allegations within church circles, Mr. Agyenim debunked claims that former Dome‑Kwabenya MP and daughter of the late founder, Sarah Adwoa Safo, was scheming to seize the reins of the church.

He dismissed the rumours as baseless propaganda, explaining that the late Apostle Safo Kantanka had explicitly settled the succession matter with his family and leadership prior to his passing.

“The claims that Sarah Adwoa Safo wants to take over the church are completely false and unfounded. The late founder had already made his position abundantly clear to his daughter that one of his sons would occupy the leadership position. There has never been an attempt by her to circumvent that position,” Mr. Agyenim clarified.

He further revealed that Adwoa Safo herself had clarified in several interactions that she was not interested in becoming the leader of the church. A voice recording of Mrs. Adwoa Safo was played, in which she stated that she had no interest in the leadership but only wanted the right thing to be done, as stipulated in the 2024 constitutional amendment outlining a legitimate selection procedure from among the sons of the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka.

Despite escalating tensions across various branches, Mr. Agyenim urged the rank‑and‑file membership of the Kristo Asafo Mission to remain calm, disciplined, and law‑abiding as legal proceedings unfold.

He appealed to the church hierarchy to prioritize internal harmony and constitutional fidelity above factional interests, cautioning that only strict adherence to laid‑down legal frameworks can avert deep, irreversible division within the historic indigenous mission.