TheCable

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has disowned the group of northern Christian leaders who visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Thursday.

The group under the aegis of Arewa Pastors Non-denominational Initiative for Peace (APNIP) had expressed satisfaction with the performance of Buhari.

They also vowed to expose those working against the president within the fold.

In a statement on Friday, Adebayo Oladeji, spokesman of Samson Ayokunle, president of CAN, said his association does not recognise APNIP.

He said it was disappointing that those “who claimed to be Christians” could conduct themselves in such manner.

“The attention of the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been drawn to a group of clergymen under the aegis of Arewa Pastors Peace Initiative, Nigeria (APPIN) who visited President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday to pledge their support to him and his government,” the  statement read.

“The group went further to the extent of claiming to the president that they knew some pastors who are being used by the opposition against his government. Claiming that Islamisation agenda is the idea of the opposition is the least expected of those who claim to be Christians in the country where Christians are becoming endangered species daily.

“CAN does not know any of them and their organisation is even alien to the association, and fortunately enough, they did not claim to be part of CAN. We are happy that the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (Northern CAN) has also disowned them.”

He wondered why they did not speak about Leah Sharibu and over 100 Chibok girls who are languishing in the captivity of the Boko Haram.

“We wonder why these supporters of our president, who claimed to be servants of God, would not ask him to stop the unending killings going on under his watch in the Christian predominant communities in the north central and some states in the south,” he said.

“They were so concerned with the 2019 election that they forgot to tell the president that the primary duty of any serious government is to provide security to the governed irrespective of their religious and ethnic affiliations.

“Telling President Buhari that the opposition had hired some pastors against his government speaks volume of where they are coming from and who they are in the body of Christ. We are waiting for the list of the pastors whom they know that are on the pay roll of the opposition who are allegedly guilty of hate speech.

“We all know how those who engaged in such an ungodly exercise in the Bible ended up. The Christian Association of Nigeria will not be discouraged by the activities of those whose agenda include but not limited to polarisation of the association and blackmailing its leadership. We cannot turn the blind eye to the ordeal of our brothers and sisters anywhere in the country.

“Those who are not concerned about the violence in the country are also free to associate and express their views while Jesus Christ, the head of the Church is on the throne to reward loyalty and judge the betrayals sooner or later.”