• As Catholic Church threatens to pull out
From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), yesterday, elected a new president, Rev. Supo Ayokunle.
The new president, who doubles as the president of Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), defeated Elder Joseph Otubu of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (MCCSW) with 54 votes to 28.
Outgoing president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, announced the result at the Ecumenical Centre in Abuja, yesterday.
The election, which was earlier slated for today, was rescheduled for yesterday without notice.
Sources within CAN told Daily Sun that elections were shifted forward to prevent arrest of some of its key leaders.
Meanwhile, the crisis rocking the apex Christian body is far from over, as the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria has threatened to pull out of the association.
In a letter addressed to Oritsejafor, dated June 9 and signed by Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, archbishop of Jos and president of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), the church demanded that the election be suspended, pending resolution of some grey areas.
It also threatened to pull out of the association should the warning be ignored by CAN.
In the letter, a copy of which was seen by Daily Sun, the Catholic Church said: “The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), which represents the Catholic Church in Nigeria, has observed with sadness how, for some years now, CAN has continued to deviate from the original objectives for which it was founded. The CSN has, on various occasions, appealed to the leadership of CAN to do all it could to ensure that the noble ideals of the Association be not only recovered but also promoted.
“Unfortunately, these appeals have so far been unheeded. This situation of things constrained the CSN to suspend active participation in the affairs of CAN, with a request that sincere efforts be made to improve on the situation…”
“The way and manner in which the electoral process of CAN has been handled does not show any willingness of the leadership to do things in a way worthy of the Association. We can no longer go along with the way things are now.
“The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria therefore demands that the current electoral process be suspended forthwith until the heads of the five Blocks of CAN reconvene (which we hope will be as soon as possible), to work out a way of bringing the association back on track, so that it may serve the purpose for which it was originally founded.
“This is the only condition under which the CSN can positively consider its continued membership of the Association.”