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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has distanced himself from the presidential campaign council list of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has the names of some outgoing officials of the body as members.
Among those whose names appeared on the Tinubu/Shettima campaign list include Assistant General Secretary of CAN, Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, who was recruited as Assistant Coordinator; its controversial Lagos State chairman, Stephen Adegbite (member); Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Comfort Chigbue (member); and Testimony Onifade, former Personal Assistant to immediate past CAN President, Samson Ayokunle (member).
Others are Victor Ivoke, Personal Assistant to Rev. Daniel Okoh, current President of CAN (member); CAN former Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Kwamkur Samuel (member), and Prof. Para-Mallam (member).
Although the tenure of the CAN officials would elapse in 10 days time, it was gathered that Samuel has applied for reappointment.
Since the names were made public, the issue had elicited controversy within the Christian body.
But Okoh in a statement issued on Thursday, Okoh insisted that CAN as an umbrella body of Christians was non-partisan, adding that thorough investigation had been launched to get to the root of the matter, with a promise to take a decisive decision at the end of the investigation.
He said: “My attention as President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been drawn to the revised list of members of the Tinubu/Shettima 2023 President Campaign Council wherein the names of some outgoing officials of the body were featured.
“Such a development is worrisome because it counters the well known stance of CAN on partisanship. I want to categorically exonerate my humble self from this development and any of such that may occur in the future.
“I want to use this medium to assure all Christians in Nigeria and the general public that since I received the news, I have commenced full investigation into how the officials got involved into overt partisanship.
“At the end of the probe, CAN will take fair, but decisive and appropriate action with a view to defending the ideals of the umbrella Christian body I lead by the grace of the Almighty God.
“On a final note, I urge the general public to be calm while we collectively work to entrench a culture of inclusion and respect for our religious diversities in our political leadership.”