Your criticism is baseless, CAN replies NCEF over visit to Buhari

The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, on Monday said it was baseless and improper for the National Christian Elders Forum to criticise its congratulatory visit to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The CAN leadership said this in reaction to a statement credited to NCEF, where it dissociated itself from the visit, saying it is ‘sub-judice’ as the determination of who won the 2019 presidential poll was pending in court.

In a statement signed by CAN’s Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Mr. Samuel Kwamkur, the umbrella Christian boday said NCEF had no moral right to fault the decision of the Church on the outcome of the presidential poll, since CAN had declared members of the forum non-persona grata in 2018.

Kwamkur said: “It is getting to one year now since CAN disassociated itself from the activities of NCEF. The decision to visit President Buhari is not supposed to be with their knowledge since they are not part of CAN.

“CAN has disbanded NCEF and they have no reason to join issues with CAN. If CAN is going right, they will go left. CAN has no business with the elders forum on this matter.

“Most of the leaders of CAN were in that team who went to see President Buhari. The five blocs constituting CAN were fully represented by the leaders of the blocs.

“We visited Buhari as a constituted body, not a political party, neither do we share political interest as an association. We work with the authority that be and if Independent National Election Commission, INEC, is the constituted authority with the mandate to conduct elections and declare the winner, what reasons do we have to say no to it?

Read also: Nigerian Air Force Officer convicted of raping 14-year old dismissed

“It means we are been partisan, if we go against the decision of INEC.

“Christians are advised to respect authorities. The bible did not say respect the leaders that love you or behave well to you. There is no condition to that admonition in the bible. If you read our speech to President Buhari, we stated that we visited because INEC has declared him winner.

“There is nothing wrong with the opposition going to court. In fact, we appreciate the moves to avoid crisis after election. If the court later decided in favour of the opposition, CAN will also go and congratulate the person again. We have also taken decision to see the opposition and share with them to encourage the rightful moves

“We have been confronting this administration with the truth. How can the elders forum want to summon the CAN president and direct him on what to do? It is not proper.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now