Nigeria’s Lutheran archbishop has been elected president of a major evangelical church body in the country, marking a leadership transition that comes weeks after the death of his predecessor.
The Most Rev. Dr. Musa Panti Filibus, archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), was elected Jan. 10 as president of the Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria, commonly known as TEKAN — from its Hausa name, Tarayyar Ekklesiyoyin Kristi a Nijeriya — during the group’s 70th General Assembly in Mkar, Benue State, in central Nigeria.
The assembly brought together leaders of the 13 church denominations that make up TEKAN, one of Nigeria’s most influential evangelical fellowships with a strong presence across the Middle Belt and northern regions of the country. Formed in 1955, church leaders estimate the fellowship represents approximately 30 million Christians across 19 states in northern and central Nigeria.
“The former president of the Lutheran World Federation and the present archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, His Grace, Rev. Musa P. Filibus, has emerged the new TEKAN president,” the Rev. Dr. Eunice Iliya, a leader in the United Methodist Church in Nigeria and a delegate to the assembly, told Christian Daily International. “God, may your name be praised.”
Another delegate, Allen Yusuf, also confirmed the election, describing it as a significant milestone for the fellowship.
“His Grace, Most Rev. Musa Panti Filibus, Ph.D., the archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, has been elected president of TEKAN fellowship denominational churches in the country,” Yusuf said. “His guidance and vision will undoubtedly play a vital role in fostering unity and strengthening the church in Nigeria.”
Filibus’ election comes weeks after the death of his predecessor, the Rev. Dr. Nemuel Abubakar Babba, archbishop emeritus of the LCCN and a former TEKAN president.
Babba died at age 73 and was buried Dec. 15, 2025, in Denmark, according to an obituary issued by Lutheran Church leaders there.
Born Dec. 31, 1952, Babba hailed from the royal Bwatiye family of Bengin in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State. He completed his early education in Jimeta-Yola and later pursued theological studies at Dashen Bible College and the Theological College of Northern Nigeria. He also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sacred theology.
Ordained into pastoral ministry in 1985, Babba served in several leadership roles within the LCCN. He earlier served as the first indigenous stewardship secretary of the LCCN headquarters in Numan in 1981. He was elected bishop of Todi Diocese in 1995 and consecrated the following year. In 2002, he became archbishop of the LCCN, a position he held until his retirement in February 2017.
Beyond Nigeria, Babba served as a council member of the Lutheran World Federation from 2003 to 2010. He also led TEKAN as president from 2005 to 2011 and later served as a federal commissioner of Nigeria’s National Christian Pilgrims Commission from 2011 to 2015.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Kaja Nemuel, whom he married in Denmark in 1982, their three sons — David, Paul and Simon — and several grandchildren. Church leaders said he died after a prolonged illness and was buried in the Faroe Islands in accordance with his wishes.
