As the tenure of the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor comes to an end in July, tension is mounting within the Christian community, as a group of Christians under the auspices of Christ Redeemers Union, has claimed that the Presidency was interested in CAN election for some reasons.
The Christian group alleged that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government and All Progressives Congress (APC) has concluded plans to install a Northern successor after the tenure of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor ends.
The National Director of CRU, Dr. Ebenezer Abednego, told journalists on Sunday in Abuja, that Christians would resist any plan by the Presidency to install anynody in CAN Presidency.
“Our determination to resist Buhari and APC in determining who becomes President of CAN is a battle of no retreat, no surrender. A top official in the Presidency, who is spearheading the campaign, has started deploying resources for logistics towards ensuring the emergence of a church leader in the Northern part of the country believed to be friendly to Buhari.
“The government official funding some religious leaders in the North who have been recruited as foot soldiers to perfect the strategy. There is tension now in CAN and the action of the Presidency has polarised the association along North – South dichotomy as Northern religious are being lobbied to support the plot,” he said.
Olusola alleged that the APC government is desperate to ensure the emergence of its candidate in CAN who will lead the Nigerian Christians community.
“We have it on good authority that any leader being installed by the Presidency in CAN would avoid any virulent criticism of the Buhari government and this has informed their desperate to install a leadership that will not be critical.
“But we are vehemently opposed to government meddling into a purely religious affairs and should the Presidency succeed in installing an APC/Buhari stooge in CAN, we will pull out of CAN. We are ready for them, we have it on good authority that some Muslim leaders from the North are behind the plot. But by the power in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, every knee shall bow and they won’t succeed,” he said.
However, when contacted, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Mr. Femi Adesina, dismissed the allegation, saying Buhari does not interfere in the internal affairs of any organisation.
He said, “It means that some Nigerians do not know their President; Your President, Muhammadu Buhari does not interfere in things like that; so they need to know the person who is their President.
“The people making the allegation can not insist that they are correct, because that is the man for you and Buhari does not interfere in anything. If he does not interfere in State elections where his own party, APC is having candidates, how will he interfere in CAN elections? They do not know their President.”
