.Says no litigation after proposed CAN elections
Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti
A chieftain of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Testimony
Onifade, has alleged that the activities of the marauding herdsmen in
recent time leading to the death of thousands of innocent Nigerians
and the superior firearms they are alleged to be parading has given credence to the fact that they are being sponsored by some powerful
Nigerians.
Onifade, who is a Special Assistant to the CAN Vice President, Rev
Supo Ayokunle, said seeing many of the herdsmen carrying AK 47 and
other sophisticated riffles underscored the level of their connections
with powerful people, urging the federal government to arrest the
sponsors and bring them to justice.
On the proposed CAN election, where new set of national leadership
would be elected, Onifade, who is also the Chaplain of Government
House, Osun State, warned candidates against resorting to litigation
after the polls, just as he advised the electoral college to adhere
strictly to the lay down rules.
Speaking in Igede Ekiti at the weekend during a Baptist Church of
Nigeria special programme held in the town, Onifade said: “What the
Fulani herdsmen used to carry are sticks and cutlasses, but today
they paraded AK 47, where did they get it?
“Their actions in recent time are barbaric and wicked. I can read
political, tribal and ethnic colourations to the way they acted. I
want to believe that President Muhammadu Buhari despite being a Fulani man cannot support such madness and he shouldn’t also keep quiet.
“But if he decided to keep quiet for too long, we in the CAN we call
him to order because no ethnic group has monopoly of violence,” he
warned.
He added further: “How can any Fulani enters a farmland with his
cattle and destroy valuable crops? And when you complain they beat you
up or kill you. This is highest point of barbarism that must be
stopped,” he said.
Onifade advised the leaderships of CAN to be fair to all the five
blocks that composed the association, so that the proposed national
elections can set a pace for the country’s democracy.
“We are going to do the needful because we won’t want people to start
going to court because of church positions. We should allow God to
choose for us and while doing that we should do the right thing by
being honest and be fair to all contestants.
“Before you can be a candidate for any position, the practice has been
that your block will recommend you. We appeal that whoever not
recommended should bury his ambition to avoid confusion that can
destroy the name of CAN as a religious body,” he said.
