Tension in CAN as Presidency moves to arrest Oritsejafor, ors

With less than 48 hours to the election in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), indications emerged on Monday night that the Presidency was planning to arrest its incumbent President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor during its National Executive Council (NEC).

It is also gathered that some other key officials of the association are targeted.

Others planned to be arrested include General Secretary of CAN, Rev. Musa Asake and its Director of National Issues, Elder Sunday Oibe.

Their arrest is on trumped up charges by government forces who were sympathetic to certain aggrieved parties in the contest.

But despite the threats, the two-day meeting where the election would be conducted would still take place and the election will hold.

Already tension was mounting in CAN last night as plain-clothed security officers were said to be hunting some of the CAN leaders.

Also, delegates from the five different blocs of CAN had started arriving Abuja for the scheduled NEC meeting which will determine the next direction of the umbrella body of Christians.

According to the schedule, the two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) have been set aside to do, majorly, two things: 

1. the election of the next CAN president and.

2. the ratification of the new CAN constitution which had been completed by a committee set up by the National Advisory Council of CAN about two years ago.

Sources revealed last night that the plain-clothes security operatives were in possession of SMS and WhatsApp messages threatening to eliminate some of the CAN leaders.

But some key leaders in CAN were wondering why the Police would be allowed to be used to arrest individuals in a purely spiritual exercise as the election of a CAN President.

Asake cried out last night that plans have reached advanced stage to conduct the election.

According to him, contrary to insinuations, CAN Secretariat has not been served any court summons that some people have gone to court to obtained an ex parte order suspending the election. 

“There are rumours all over the place but there are papers on your table”‘ he stated.

Asake said the next CAN President will be elected by a total of 101 voters: every bloc brings 10 delegates, all the state chairmen plus the Federal Capital (FCT) making 37, all the six zonal leaders, five national directors, the president, Vice President, the General Secretary and the Treasurer.

“We are on target and we are praying that everything will go as planned because this is an issue of Christians and we hope to finish the entire exercise without any rancour”, he said.

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