In a statement issued on Monday, Primate Henry Ndukuba criticized Mullaly’s election, arguing it undermines the convictions of many Anglicans opposed to female episcopal leadership and her vocal support for same-sex marriage.

Ndukuba highlighted Mullaly’s 2023 speech, where she described a Church of England vote to approve blessings for same-sex couples as “a moment of hope,” as evidence of her stance. 

“Her election confirms that the global Anglican world can no longer accept the leadership of the Church of England,” he stated, questioning how Mullaly could mend the Anglican Communion’s decades-long divisions over same-sex marriage.

Urging global Anglicans to reject Mullaly’s leadership, Ndukuba called on faithful members to uphold traditional Christian values, referencing Jude 1:3. 

He reaffirmed the Church of Nigeria’s alignment with the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), emphasizing adherence to biblical authority, historic creeds, and evangelism, despite what he described as a “revisionist agenda.”

Mullaly, 63, a former cancer nurse and the first female Bishop of London since 2018, was announced as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, succeeding Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024. 

She will lead the 85 million-strong Anglican Communion worldwide, a role now met with significant opposition from Nigeria’s Anglican leadership.