Ayo Oritsejafor
With few months to its forthcoming
election, tension is mounting within the Christian Association of
Nigeria following an alleged plot by President Muhammadu Buhari to
install a successor to its current President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor,
whose tenure expires in July 2016.
The All Progressives Congress is said to
be interested in sponsoring a pro-Buhari clergy from the North so as to
avoid any radical opposition to his administration from the Christian
community.
But when contacted, the Special Adviser
to the President (Media and Communications), Mr. Femi Adesina, dismissed
the allegation and told The PUNCH that “Buhari does not interfere in the internal affairs of any organisation.”
He said, “It means that some Nigerians
don’t 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’t
insist that they are correct because that is the man for you and Buhari
doesn’t interfere in anything. If he doesn’t interfere in state
elections where his own party, the APC, is having candidates, how will
he interfere in CAN elections? They don’t know their President.”
A group of Christians, under the aegis
of Christ’s Redeemers’ Union, claimed that the Presidency was interested
in CAN election for some selfish reasons.
The National Director of CRU, Dr.
Abednego Olusola, in a statement obtained by journalists on Sunday in
Abuja, said Christians would resist any plan by the Presidency to
install a puppet as CAN President.
He said, “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 with
Buhari.
“The government officials funding some
religious leaders in the North 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 members are being lobbied to support the plot.”
Olusola explained that the APC
government was desperate to ensure the emergence of its candidate in CAN
who would lead the Nigerian Christians community.
Source: Punch
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