The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states and Abuja has cautioned some Christian leaders who have been attacking the President of the association, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, for reasons described as parochial.
At a news conference in Kaduna, the Secretary General of CAN, Elder Saidu Dogo, said such leaders have allowed their personal interests to override their calling and feeling for fellow Christians.
He said: “We are aware of the alignment between these individuals with certain Islamic fundamentalists in the north who are sponsoring them to attack the person of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, and to brand Christians and Christianity as terrorists in Nigeria.
“We have invited you here to make a statement on the Campaign of calumny by some elements against President of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern States and Federal Capital Territory is worried by the recent orchestrated plans by certain characters in the name of Christian leaders whose understanding of Christianity is all about their denomination and their personal interest over and above the plight of Christians in general.
“These characters, whose trade mark is to be in and out of government and when they are not in government, they want to divide the church in Nigeria along North and South dichotomy for their selfish aims.
“We appeal to them to note that he who lives in a glass house, must not throw stone.
“Whether these individuals call themselves men of God, Reverends, Bishops, etc, our strong appeal is that the church in Nigeria must not be divided.
“The church in the North is solidly behind him (Oritsejafor).
“We are proud of him and any attempt to put a stumbling block in the wheel of progress, will be resisted frontally by CAN in the 19 Northern states.
“The questions we are asking these characters are: where were they when the churches and Christians were being maimed in most parts of the north? What has been their contribution to alleviate the suffering of the persecuted church?
“We urge them to have a rethink on their activities.
“We are aware of the fact that they are being sponsored by some elements in the north to fight the CAN President because of his vocal and courageous stand on issues affecting Northern Christians.
“We advise them to stop this cheap blackmail; otherwise, they will soon expose their evil activities to Nigerian Christians by their utterances and actions.”