CAN presidency: TEKAN leader Ahima joins race as move to unseat Ayokunle begins

The race for the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the next four years, on Sunday witnessed the declarationn of interest by the President of TEKAN, Rev. Dr. Caleb Ahima.

TEKAN, a conglomeration of 15 churches in Northern Nigeria under the aegis of Tarayar Ekklisiyoyin Kristi A Nigeria (meaning, Fellowship of the Churches of Christ in Nigeria) belong to the same bloc with Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA).

The ambition of Ahima was ratified during the recently concluded TEKAN General Assembly held at the Headquarters of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria in Kwarhi- Mubi, Adamawa State.

With this, Ahima would slug it out with the incumbent President of CAN and President of Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Samson Supo Ayokunle.

Already, a five-member committee has been set up to facilitate the achievement of his aspiration, with different mandates, including reaching out to ECWA, since TEKAN and ECWA form one of the five blocs of CAN.

The committee is to make strategic contacts towards realisation of the dream.

Ahima, in his declaration statement, said: “May I state that ECWA has keyed into this aspiration successfully. Efforts by detractors to break the unity of the bloc have been futile. It is God who gives leadership. My prayer is that the will of God will be done.

“The journey to leadership cannot be permitted in any way to divide God’s people or be allowed to cast aspersion on the image of the church.

“The threshold we have reached as Nigerian church is too dangerous to embrace the costly luxury of suicidal pursuit of selfish and personal interests.

“My nomination by TEKAN for the contest and ECWA’s acceptance of the nomination is the voice of God since, quite often, the voice of the people is the voice of God.”