…vows to work for the election of only credible candidates
The new Leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in Kaduna State said it will no longer condone Kaduna State government excesses of insulting Christians and blaspheming Christianity to score cheap political gains.
The new Chairman of CAN, Kaduna State reverend Joseph Hayab made the statement during his inaugural speech in Kaduna CAN secretariat, saying he wouldn’t mind telling them that they insulted “our own and go to jail”, saying Christians will not vote him for the second term.
According to him Christians from Southern Kaduna voted for him during the 2015 election massively, contrary to his recent statement that the people in the geographical area did not vote for him.
Hayab who was furious while delivering his acceptance speech as the new chairman of CAN said that the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari has also subjected Nigerians to sufferings and poverty and Nigerians deserve the right to vote the right and credible leadership for the country in 2019.
He said: “I will champion our members not to vote for a wicked leader. If he is ungodly, in this country that we live, they have decided to put their people to fill all positions. It happened in Jamb, NUC and other arms of government. As a leader I will continue to speak to the authority, whether he is wicked, I will not mind speaking the truth”.
“What I know about this country, no one can come and lie to me anymore and no one can intimidate me anymore. In CAN we all belong to different political parties. but, we must be allowed to vote for good leaders instead of wicked leaders who would want to destroy our country. If your candidate is wrong we will tell you”.
Reverend Hayab argued: “CAN will remind government and its agencies that the principles of equity and fairness are not negotiable for the people of a just society, particularly in this Kaduna State, CAN need an understanding of all Christians to vote for credible leaders”.
“We will tell them the truth. I’ll not even mind going to jail if we would tell them that they have insulted and assaulted our own. I want them to know that they never came to power in 2015 on their own, we voted them to power. And if the Governor says we Christians never voted for him, he is a lair. Christians voted this government to power. Christians made him governor and because he is an ingrate or because there is no fear of God in him, and I have told him that face to face that we voted for him”.
The clergy: “I have always used Jama’a local government area as an example where the total vote in 2015 was 82,000 votes, the party in power then got 39,000. No one should come out and start feeding people with lies, some of us know the truth”.
“I can tell you people in power that at the time people are suffering in Nigeria, instead of winning people you are dividing people. Instigating Christians against Moslems. I know that I have a lot of Moslems in Kaduna State and they are not in support of this nonsense. People who are using divisive methods are doing it for themselves and not for Moslems”.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Reverend Yakubu Pam commended the election of Hayab as the Association Chairman in the State, saying that “at this time of the history of our country and Kaduna State we need people like him to steer the leadership of CAN here.”
In his address, Governor El-Rufai’s spokesman, Samuel Aruwan who represented the Governor said that the doors of the government are wide open to the officials of CAN for any useful advice to improve the affairs of the State.
He advised the new leadership of the Association to come with constructive ideas that will move the State forward while pledging Government willingness to support the Christian body in the State.
Among other digniwereies that attended the occasion was the former National Secretary of CAN, Yusuf Salifu; Moslems and other Christian leaders.
