samson-ayokunle
Samson Ayokunle

The Christian Association of Nigeria in the southern states has risen to defend the election of Samson Olasupo Ayokunle as its new president. Since the recent election, the house of CAN has looked divided with some members from the northern part of Nigeria alleging that the presidency ought to reflect equity. The suggestion among such members is that the South is enjoying a monopoly of that position.

Only a few days ago, the Bauchi State chairman of CAN, Rev. Joshua Maina said that it was the turn of the North to produce the president of CAN. “Out of the thirty years of CAN’s existence,” Maina claimed, “the North has occupied the President’s position for only three years and we feel this is injustice.”

Maina was quite unequivocal in his allegation that the outgone President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor manipulated the process which ensured the emergnce of Ayokunle. He said: “It is unfortunate that the former CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, manipulated the entire process and ensured that his deputy, Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle succeeded him. If there is no skeleton in their cupboards why are they evading court order regarding the legal process of CAN election?”

It was against this backdrop that Dr Joseph Ajujungwa who is Secretary of CAN in the Southern Region comprising 17 states made a statement in Enugu yesterday . Ajujungwa described Maina’s allegation as a big deception intended to mislead the public, “a great fallacy” and “falsehood personified.”

Ajujungwa made the following clarifications: “CAN is not built on regions, zones states or ethnicity, but on blocks like the CSN, CCN, CPFN/PFN, OAIC and TEKAN/ECWA. The constitution of CAN does not say presidency should rotate between North and South. For Rev. Maina to be saying this is a sign of just how ignorant he is of what CAN is.

“Let me state here that no chairman, region, zone or bloc was marginalized during the just concluded transition of CAN and no chairman or region was asked not to vote or participate in the election. Let people be aware, anyone that did not participate did so willingly or was not around to vote or participate. Therefore, it is not correct to call people names for any personal interest especially our leader, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor who has done well for the church in the north in particular and Nigeria as a whole.

“We must learn not to use our selfish interests to destroy the church or its leaders for any reason. The southern CAN and the leaders are not happy to be reading nonsense articles from disgruntled persons who have been paid to discredit our sacred body which our fathers have done much to uphold its tenets and prospects. All the leaders that have ruled CAN were elected from their church groups and we know that very soon it will go round to all other blocs who have not tasted the highly elevated office of president of CAN.

“TEKAN/ECWA should join forces together with OAIC to get the position since they started a fight that favoured CCN. We all know that no one bloc can clique the position all alone without others working with it. Let us be sincere to ourselves, let us tell the truth to the public as leaders who understand the CAN constitution. This politics of calumny should stop.

“I want to state here that: There is no crisis in CAN. There was never a time Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor influenced the election of his vice as the new president of CAN. There was never a time that the 19 northern states were marginalized or deprived the opportunity of producing CAN president. Anyone paid to destroy, castigate or tell lies against the Christian body should for his own interest desist. We cannot compromise the unity we have.

“The unity of Nigerian Christians is not in doubt and should not be mortgaged for any filthy lucre. Finally, we call on all Christians to pray for Nigeria and the government of President Buhari that God will help him to succeed, and to do the right thing.”