An attempt by some elders of the Kristo Asafo Mission to install Israel Kwadwo Safo, popularly known as Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena, as successor to the late Apostle Emeritus Dr. Ing. Kwadwo Safo has been halted by a High Court injunction, pending the determination of a legal challenge over whether the move complies with the church’s constitution.
Two senior members of the Kristo Asafo Mission have dragged the church and some of its key leaders to the High Court in a bid to stop the installation of Apostle Kwadwo Safo’s son, Israel Kwadwo Safo (Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena), as the next leader of the movement.
Court documents sighted by GhanaWeb show that Kweku Agyenim Boateng, a former Deputy General Secretary of Kristo Asafo Mission, and Seth Appiah Richard Brown have filed a writ challenging the legitimacy of the succession process following the death of the church’s founder, Apostle Emeritus Dr. Ing. Kwadwo Safo, in September 2025.
The suit, filed at the High Court in Accra, names Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana, Israel Kwadwo Safo (also known as Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena), Festus Owusu Badu, Dr. Kwadwo Addo Oduro and Robert Ntiful as defendants.
According to the statement of claim, the plaintiffs contend that while Israel Kwadwo Safo had at one point been designated as a successor by the founder, amendments made to the church’s constitution in 2024 altered the line of succession and rendered him ineligible to assume the leadership.
The plaintiffs argue that the 2024 constitutional amendment represented the “final and deliberate wishes” of Apostle Kwadwo Safo regarding the future leadership of the church and must therefore be strictly adhered to.
They further allege that despite the constitutional changes, plans have been put in place to install and publicly present Israel Kwadwo Safo as leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission.
The suit claims that such an installation would be unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void.
The court action seeks several declarations, including a ruling that the 2017 Constitution of Kristo Asafo Mission and its 2024 amended version remain the supreme governing instruments of the church.
The plaintiffs are also asking the court to declare that the succession process must strictly follow those constitutional provisions.
Additionally, they are seeking an order barring Israel Kwadwo Safo from holding himself out as leader of the church and a perpetual injunction restraining the church, its Council of Elders and other officials from appointing, installing, presenting or recognising him as leader pending compliance with the church’s constitutional requirements.
The plaintiffs argue that the ongoing succession dispute has already generated uncertainty, division and anxiety among members and threatens the unity and stability of the Kristo Asafo Mission.
They warn that unless the court intervenes, the planned installation could undermine the constitutional governance structure of the church.
The lawsuit sets the stage for what could become one of the most closely watched religious leadership disputes in Ghana, with the High Court expected to determine whether the succession plans align with the church’s governing constitution and the late founder’s intentions.
In addition, the suit is accompanied by a Penal Notice cautioning the defendants, the Council of Elders, and any persons acting on their behalf against appointing, installing, presenting, recognising or holding out Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena as the leader of Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana while the case remains before the court.
The plaintiffs are seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the defendants from proceeding with any installation or recognition of the second defendant as leader of the church until the matter is finally determined. The notice further warns that any person who disregards the court process and proceeds with actions connected to the installation or recognition of a new leader could be cited for contempt of court and face penalties prescribed by law, including imprisonment if found guilty.
