Rev. Joshua Maina, the chairman of the Bauchi State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has claimed that the 19 Northern states have rejected the emergence of Dr. Samson Ayokunle as the president of the association.
Rev. Maina, who disclosed this to members of the press in Bauchi on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 claimed that the 19 Northern states were “edged out” of the process of selecting new leaders for the CAN.
“All the 19 Northern states were edged out of the process of the CAN President’s election. We suspect that there was connivance between the outgoing CAN President and some individuals are at the helm of affairs of the association,” the CAN chapter chairman said.
“It is unfortunate that the former CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, manipulated the entire process and ensured that his deputy Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle succeeded him.
“If there is no skeleton in their cupboards why are they evading court order regarding the legal process of CAN election?”
According to the Maina, it was the turn of the North to produce the president of CAN.
He lamented that Rev. Emmanuel Gado, who happened to be the right candidate, was blackmailed.
He said: “We are not fools because 19 Northern states had supported somebody of Igbo extraction as CAN president. We are aware that other regions were later co-opted to join CAN, which has its roots in Jos.
“Out of the 30 years of CAN’s existence, the North has occupied the president’s position for only three years and we feel this is an injustice.”
Maina insisted that northern states would not succumb to any intimidation and humiliation in its determination to ensure justice was done to the region.
