Peter Akinola
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Peter Jasper Akinola (born 1944) is the current Anglican Primate of Nigeria. He is also Bishop of Abuja (Nigeria's capital) and Archbishop of Province III, which covers the northern and central parts of the country. His strong fundamentalist message has made him a hero to many conservatives throughout the Anglican Communion and beyond, while liberals see him as a divisive force. A "low church" evangelical, Akinola emphasizes the Bible over tradition, and has taken a strong stand against those promoting values he considers to be incompatible with the Bible, such as homosexuality.
In August 2003 he stated that if Canon Jeffrey John was consecrated as Bishop of Reading or Gene Robinson consecrated as Bishop of New Hampshire, the Church of Nigeria would leave the Anglican Communion. A number of dioceses throughout the world, including the Diocese of Sydney, Australia made similar hints, and Akinola has been mentioned as a possible international leader of an "alternative" to the See of Canterbury.
As of November 2003, Akinola is the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, an ecumenical body brining together Protestant, Catholic, and African independent Christians. He is also Chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, representing an estimated 37 million Anglicans.