By Iliya Kure
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Northern arm of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), comprising of 19 northern states, has asked the national leadership of the Association to suspend the conduct of the National election pending the resolution of lingering issues and genuine reconciliation.
The decision was made known to AFRICAPRIMENEWS Tuesday morning, after a meeting by leadership of Northern CAN held in Kaduna Monday night.
Spokesman of northern CAN, Rev. Joseph Hayab said it was necessary to act and allow a healing period for parties that have been hurt in the way things were conducted.
Already, Catholic Secretariat and other christian leaders from northern nigeria had threatened a pull out of the Association if laid down procedures are not followed.
Rev. Hayab said “We shall attend the NEC meeting holding Tuesday and Wednesday in Abuja, but we are making our position known, that the conduct of the election be suspended to correct wrongs and allow room for reconciliation. With the situation at hand, you can not make any meaningful progress.
“What is happening now is unfortunate, but we need to put our house in order to make any meaningful progress.”
Our checks revealed that Rev. Musa Asake and his Assistant had been served a court injunction Monday afternoon, restraining the conduct of the election. Our reporter in Abuja also gathered that Pastor Oritsejafor’s copy was pasted on his office door, since he was not found on seat.
AFRICAPRIMENEWS gathered that security men have been drafted to the CAN secretariat Tuesday morning. It is not clear what they were doing in the area. Youth leader of TEKAN/ECWA bloc had earlier alleged that Oritsejofor was bent on using thugs and security agents to ensure the conduct of the elections.
But another version is saying the security men were provided to protect the lives of the CAN leaders, who said their lives were under threat.
For the first time the election into the office of CAN President has been politicised and became a media issue.
It first came to limelight when a group sympathetic to Pastor Oritsejafor called a press conference in Abuja and announced that Buhari was planning to install a northerner as CAN president.
Recently, some sponsored media campaigns against the person of Rev. Jeremiah Gado, leader of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), were seen in the pages of Nigerian newspapers.
A source close to Rev. Gado said, the man was consulted by groups within the TEKAN/ECWA bloc and has made up his mind to contest long before Buhari came to power.
On the sponsored media campaign against the ECWA President, the source said, it was nothing to worry about, because those writing the scripts had shown they know very little about him.
“From their write up you can tell they are writing what someone told them, and from the tone, we can tell who fed them with the information. But we refuse who react because we have passed that level. Remember they are not accusing him of any immoral act or financial misappropriation, but leadership style in ECWA, something that is democratic. Go to ECWA whether members will believe them.
“If we subject the sponsors to immoral act test, or financial misappropriation test, can they pass the test?
AFRICAPRIMENEWS Tuesday morning received a bulk text from CAN2016, whoever the sender was, but our checks also revealed that some of the delegates to the CAN NEC meeting also received same.
Content of the message says “Where is Christ in CAN? Ayo Oritsejafor boasts that Nigerian pastors are so hungry & greedy that money can make them lose their minds&souls. Therefore, he’s using billions of his loot 2blindfold some of them. Ayo uses craftiness, charms, bribery, sentiments& intimidation 2divide&rule. But the UPRIGHT are resisting! The Catholics, the entire North& other groups have threatened2 pull out of CAN except things are done right! A court gave injunction stopping Ayos stage-managed election. Still, Ayo is calling their bluff; battle-ready2install his stooge. Will Ayo be able2 make REAL MEN OF GOD disobey Nigerian laws, create crisis& fragment CAN? This is the acid test. The credibility of the Nigerian church is at stake! The entire world is waiting!”
