Northern CAN leadership crisis deepens
THE leadership crisis affecting the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), commonly referred to as Northern CAN, has escalated as the former Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrimage Commission (NCPC), Reverend Yakubu Pam, insists on continuing as its chairman.
A faction of the association, led by Reverend Joseph Hayab, held a press conference last week where they claimed he had been elected as the new chairman of Northern CAN, arguing that Reverend Pam’s term had expired.
Reverend Hayab stated that the executives under Reverend Pam were elected in 2019 for a three-year term and emphasized that they have exceeded their time in office by more than two years. He asserted that, according to the constitution, the Pam-led executives can no longer manage the association.
In response to his removal, Reverend Pam firmly stated that he remains the chairman of the association for the 19 Northern States, including Abuja. He argued that they were elected for a four-year term, which directly contradicts Reverend Hayab’s position. Reverend Pam explained that, despite his initial intention to resign, the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in January required him to stay in office until elections are held in the second quarter of the year.
“We were taken aback by the alleged election of Hayab-led executives, some of whom were not association members but claimed to be in Abuja for the Kangaroo election. The person who summoned the meeting lacked the constitutional authority to do so on behalf of Northern CAN,” he said.
Reverend Pam emphasized that the association has never held an election outside of Kaduna State, where its secretariat is located, and questioned how the group procured permission for the election.
“Every organization has its constitution or bylaws regarding elections and changes in leadership. We entered office under a four-year term, which could be renewed for four years.
Given our distinct cultures, the late Archbishop Jatau, whom I succeeded, served as chairman for over forty years. Baba is like a father to us, so whenever we had a meeting, we would often say that Baba should continue.
When we assumed office, I stated that we needed to implement the law, which allows for a tenure of eight years divided into two terms. During our meeting in January this year, the entire assembly mandated me to continue in my role. Even though I expressed that I did not want to continue, they insisted that I do so.
They also agreed that we should convene again in the next quarter for an election. Shortly after our meeting, some regional chairpersons indicated that certain elders were pushing for another election. The individual behind this initiative is from the North Central region and was attempting to gain support from the North West, but he was rejected.
Some individuals were summoned to Abuja, but we clarified that we have never held our elections there. The group that called for the election does not represent the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). In response, we quickly organized a meeting to denounce the election. In our last meeting, everyone reaffirmed that Reverend Yakubu Pam is our chairman; the election was a sham. The question remains: what authority was used for that election? The secretariat, located in Kaduna, is under my control, and my secretary has all the relevant documents in his possession,” the cleric added.
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