A group of Christians in Nigeria under the aegis of Patriotic Christian Youths of Nigeria (PCYN), on Friday raised the alarm that the candidate of TEKAN/ECWA, Dr. Jeremiah Gado, who was disqualified in the last election of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), was spearheading the purported plan to “split the body of Christ by breaking away.”

According to them, CAN has not divided and will not be divided just because Dr. Gado’s desperate plans to become President met a brick wall.

Another group, operating under the umbrella of Concerned Christians of Nigeria (CCN) and Northern Nigerian Christians (NCN), led by Shehu Luka and Peter Luka, had last week announced their decision to pull out of CAN following the emergence of Dr. Supo Samson Ayokunle as CAN President.

Among other excuses, they argued that Gado was allegedly denied contesting for the Presidency of CAN during the association's election held on June 14, 2016.

The President of PCYN, Evangelist Simon Timothy Nasso, in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, said that they would have been quiet but for the sake of the ignorant public that could be confused, misinformed and convinced to believe.

He alleged that Gado was sponsoring the purported groups plotting to pull out of CAN, using money. But Gado denied the allegation, saying that he doesn't have money to sponsor any individual or group to split CAN.

He said: “Let them provide the evidence; that is nonsense. I don't have the money. They have the money and they are the people sponsoring the PCYN. I cannot sponsor anybody now; I don’t have the money to sponsor anybody. It is nonsense, it’s stupid. It all shows you the kind of leadership that is being provided by CAN. They have been hiring surrogates to try and give good people a bad name. Let them give you the evidence.”

According to Nasso, Gado was disqualified from contesting the election following allegations that “he went round canvassing for financial support from political groups.”

The statement reads: “The attention of the Patriotic Christian Youths of Nigeria (PCYN) has been drawn to a press release by an unknown organisations named; Concerned Christians of Nigeria and Northern Nigerian Christians led by some questionable characters, Rev. Shehu Luka and Peter Luka which was widely reported by media houses on the concluded plan by Northern Christians to break away from CAN with the news that registration of various groups with their association has commenced in Abuja.

“If we must state in print, what disqualified Rev. Dr. Gado from contesting the election besides his lack of experience and ignorance is the fact that he went round canvassing for financial support from political groups even when his fate as the candidate of the bloc was yet to be decided and he was using some persons with questionable character to pursue his ambition.

“It is also unfortunate to note that the desperation has led Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Gado to suing his bloc leader, the out gone CAN President and the Registered Trustees of CAN in law court on the election, a strange practice in CAN.

“He has within the short time changed the lawyers handling the case and has also accused the Judge trying the case of bias just as he did to his church ECWA, his bloc TEKAN/ECWA, CAN Electoral College and CAN herself. Why all these desperate moves? Can he patiently wait for the result of his case in the court if he is truly pursuing justice?

“Now, he is sponsoring thugs to castigate the body of Christ in this most trying period for Christians in Nigeria. When will he hear the voice of God talking to him through the various individuals and institutions who have listened to him and advised him otherwise? Must Jesus come from heaven to tell him it is enough? What does he have in the CAN secretariat that life has not given him?

“The public may wish to know that in our last press conference, we told you that some questionable characters are behind Dr. Gado’s desperation; hence they have no regard for the sanctity of the church, neither the church unity nor the peaceful coexistence of Christians.

“The groups in the press conference held on Sunday 14th August, 2016 gave their reasons for breakup to include;

• That their candidate Dr. Jeremiah Gado was denied the opportunity to contest for the position of the CAN President during the June 14, 2016 National CAN Election.

•That the CAN did not help the Northern Christians during the crises in the North East.

•That the out-gone leadership of CAN be investigated.

• The group claimed that after due consultation with Christian leaders, traditional rulers, youths and women it has resolved to pull out of CAN.

Ordinarily, we would not have wasted time in responding to a group of persons whose questionable records are known to the public but for the sake of the ignorant public that may be confused, misinformed and made to believe them; we decided to set the records straight.”

•Photo shows CAN President Samson Ayokunle.

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