Ayokunle wins round one of CAN presidential polls

OUTGOING Vice President of the Christian
Association of Nigeria, CAN, and president of
Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Samson Olasupo
Ayokunle yesterday won the first round of the CAN
presidential election, defeating his only rival eight
votes to two.

Sources close to the CAN Electoral College which sat
yesterday to screen the nominees for the election,
said Rev. Ayokunle who is representing the Christian
Council of Nigeria (CCN) polled eight votes against
his only rival, Prof. Joseph Otubu of the Organization
of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) who scored two votes.

Five members of the 15-member Electoral College
abstained. According to the constitution of CAN, the
Electoral College headed by erstwhile Chaplain to
two Nigerian presidents and Head, Aso Rock Villa
Chapel, Rev. William Okoye is expected to screen the
nominated candidates and recommend two of them
for the National Executive Council for election.

The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN and the
Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, CPFN/PFN, which
nominated the outgoing president, did not present
candidates for the election.

Following the unresolved dispute in the TEKAN/ECWA
bloc the number of candidates for the CAN president
was reduced to just two which, some now reason,
should have made the Electoral College to have
recommended the two to NEC for the election.

Some members, who spoke to Vanguard yesterday
said the Electoral College had erred in its operation
when it went beyond its brief to conduct an election
among the two persons with some suggesting that
the election would create a credibility problem for
CAN which is desirous of giving opportunities to
every participating bloc.

A senior cleric belonging to the CCN, told our
correspondent yesterday that the current
development may negate the rotational principle of
CAN, insisting that the Electoral College should have
stopped at screening the candidates for their
qualifications.

The two candidates would now be presented to the
NEC which is scheduled to meet again in mid-June to
elect the successor of outgoing CAN president,
Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.