Group alleges of plan by Onaiyekan, Oritsejafor to foil inauguration of new CAN president

Christ Redeemers Union (CRU), said two ex-Presidents of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have finalised plans to frustrate the inauguration of the president-elect, Dr. Supo Samson Ayokunle, slated to hold July 20.

The group alleged that a former President of CAN and Catholic ArchBishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan is summoning some Christian leaders including the outgoing President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor to an illegal meeting.

The said meeting according to the group, is scheduled to hold Thursday July 7 at the residence of another former President of CAN and ex-Primate of the Methodist Church, Sunday Mbang in Akwa Ibom State.

The National Director of CRU, Dr. Ebenezer Olusola Abednego, in a statement issued in Abuja, warned that the CRU would resist any plot to scuttle the inauguration of Ayokunle and “create confusion in the body of Christ.”

Part of the statement read: “We have been informed that the meeting was at the instance of Cardinal Onaiyekan who is from the Catholic secretariat of Nigeria block, who was defeated by outgoing CAN President, Oritsejafor. The aim of the meeting is to frustrate the inauguration of the newly elected President of CAN, Ayokunle and Prof. Joseph Otubu.

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“This same ex-President of CAN had earlier expressed his disdain and had sworn that no member of Pentecostals and white garment churches would be president of CAN. For us in CRU, the meeting is laced with serious mischief and we see it as a plot and ‘Bobby trap’ to cause crisis in the body of Christ and disallow the incumbent from finishing his tenure successfully.

“The Akwa Ibom meeting has no name, and is unconstitutional in CAN. Will Nigerian Christians allow this aggrieved ex-President of CAN to usurp the authority of CAN National Executive Council (NEC), which had validly and constitutionally elected a successor to Oritsejafor.”

Oritsejafor could not be reached to confirm if he has any knowledge of the meeting as his lines were switched off.

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