Victor EzejaThe national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said it is not aware of any N2 billion purportedly donated to the body by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.
The national Christian body was reacting to a petition said to be circulating on social media about the alleged misappropriation of N2 billion purportedly given by Obi to churches under the umbrella of CAN.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelNational President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel C. Okoh, in a statement released on Sunday, 12th February 2023, said the claim that they received N2 billion from Obi is not true, adding that it is another failed attempt to draw the Christian body into partisan politics as the 2023 general elections draw closer.
Archbishop Okoh maintained that the CAN remains non-partisan and will not endorse or mobilise support for any candidate in the forthcoming election.
The CAN president urged members of the public to disregard the petition and the news as fake and warned those “peddling the falsehood to desist from such acts,” which cause a breach of peace in the nation.
Archbishop Okoh further the CAN would investigate the source of the petition letter in the light of public interest on the matter.
The statement reads: “The attention of the national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been drawn to a purported letter currently in circulation on social media, alleging that a certain sum of N2bn was given by the presidential candidate of Labour party, Mr Peter Obi to Churches under the umbrella of CAN.
“I use this medium to categorically state that the so-called letter of petition reportedly signed by one Pastor Frank Onwumere and addressed to my office is illogical and can best be described as a failed attempt to drag the apex Christian body into the politics of 2023. However, we will investigate the source of the letter in the interest of the public.
“To set the records straight, I am not aware of any N2bn given to Churches in Nigeria to mobilise votes for any 2023 presidential candidate and never received the said petition dated December 22, 2022.
“Nigerians should note that CAN, as a faith-based entity, maintains its non-partisan stance and will not endorse or mobilise support for any candidate in the upcoming elections as against the social media post being circulated by some elements bent on soiling its name and image
“CAN, therefore, urges members of the public to disregard the purported letter of petition as its content are not only untrue but malicious.
“We warn those peddling the falsehood to desist from such acts because they are capable of defaming innocent people and revered religious institutions as well as breaching public peace.”
Meanwhile, the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign team has dismissed the allegation as hoax, noting that it is one of the series of things the presidential candidate is expected to encounter in the course of the campaign which is targeted at portraying Obi in a negative light.
It said that Obi has remained the “most searched and fact-checked one among the four top Presidential candidates for obvious reasons” and nothing untoward was found about him.
According to the campaign team, Obi has a clean record and has been running an issue-based campaign, leading the enemies into “frustration of not finding any.”
“Obi-Datti Media Campaign office knows it as a fact that you cannot be in front of a political competition and not get roughen, especially if you are in the race with morally bankrupt persons.
“That is why we will continue to be amused by the desperation of some opponents to search for faults on the front-running Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, and the apparent frustration of not finding any.
“The LP standard bearer has remained the most searched and fact-checked one among the four top Presidential candidates for obvious reasons. He is the only one running an issue-driven campaign and therefore, provoking intellectual conversations.
The campaign team urged Obi’s supporters not to be distracted by such hoax publicities but “Ignore and treat as thrash any doctored and faked items on Obi. Anything they are bringing now after their long fruitless search is concocted to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the candidate and should be disregarded,” the group stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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