By John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Secretary General of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (Northen CAN), Elder, Sunday Oibe, has said that any politician who wants to use the association to settle political scores will be resisted.
Oibe also warned those using the name of Northern CAN to extort money from politicians to desist from such acts.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday in Kaduna, he dissociated the Northern CAN from a meeting of its state chairmen, allegedly convened on Tuesday in Abuja, by former speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Lawal Babachir who are chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), opposed to the party’s same faith presidential ticket.
“It is not true that chairmen of CAN in the 19 Northern states met in Abuja, to take a position on the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket. “Northern CAN was one of the first Christian groups that kicked against Muslim-Muslim ticket, we had long taken a position on this issue and we still stand by it.
“For some people to gather in Abuja to say that chairmen of CAN in the 19 Northern states met, is an attempt to divide the church and it will not work”, Oibe said.
According to him, the leadership of Northern CAN, headed by Rev. Yakubu Pam was not aware of such meeting.
Oibe said, the few state chairmen who attended the meeting didn’t know politicians were behind it as they were invited by an NGO.
“The few chairmen who attended the meeting didn’t know politicians were behind the meeting as they were invited by an NGO.
“It was when they got to the meeting that they discovered, that it was the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Lawal Babachir, were behind the meeting”, Oibe said.
He said CAN is not a political party and wondered why politicians will use an NGO to invite church leaders to a political meeting.
Oibe said, “those who attended the meeting were taken aback because it was not the kind of meeting they they told.
“Unfortunately, certain persons were being used, to reach out to the state chairmen.
“We want to use this opportunity to tell the world that Northern CAN has a leadership and official channel of communication.
“The association is led by Rev. Yakubu Pam. For anybody to use the name of Northern CAN to garnish their political agenda is unacceptable.
“Politicians should know that some people see this era of politicking as an opportunity for them to make money and they will do all sort of things to collect money from them.
“Northern CAN will never go to any politician to hang around. But our doors are opened to every politician that wants to consult or interface with us to find solutions to the problems facing our country.
“Those who feel this is their season to make money by going about using the name of Northern CAN should desist from such.
“Northern CAN will never allow itself to be used by politicians to score political points or to settle political scores.
“If Dogara, Babachir and their group are aggrieved over certain things in their party, they should fight it at the party level and stop dragging CAN into it.
“We take exception to that, we are not part of it and will never be part of it. Any time we want to speak, we have our channels of communication.
“We urged politicians to be wary of some people in cassock who think the political season is for them to make money from politicians, but we will not allow them to use the name of Northern CAN.”
