Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Enugu State has distanced itself from the alleged rejection of results of the March 18, 2023, governorship election in Enugu State by a group of faceless bishops in Umuahia, Abia State.
The association said the purported bishops did not represent the Christian community and condemned the brazen attacks on the Enugu governor-elect, Dr Peter Mbah, by the group as sponsored by desperate politicians.
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Addressing Christians, the state chairman of CAN, Rev Emmanuel Edeh, said the news about some faceless bishops under the aegis of the so-called “Network of Evangelical Bishops of Nigeria (NEBN)” who had allegedly converged at the capital of Abia State to accept the results of Abia State gubernatorial election while rejecting that of Enugu State came to them as a rude shock.
Describing the faceless bishops, as sponsored meddlesome interlopers to cause confusion and distrust in the state, the CAN chairman queried the basis of the alleged submission made by the bishops as it did not represent the true reflection of what transpired in the state, maintaining that none of the said bishops was an election observer or resides in Enugu State.
“For a group of people to have gathered themselves at Umuahia, are they election observers or monitors? Are they an extended arm of INEC? Nobody should listen to them.
“If they were given an impression of what happened in Abia State where they are staying or possibly doing their businesses, that would have been better. They should have asked Bishops; well-known Bishops, the recognized ones who are in Enugu what really happened. It is just like (God forbid) I, myself as the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, chairman of Enugu State inviting some clergymen and say let’s say whatever we feel like saying concerning what happened in may be Adamawa State or Kaduna State. What is the veracity? Is it based on what you heard or what you experienced? That is why I asked were they election observers or monitors or an extension of INEC? We don’t understand the basis and of course, I want to recognize that every individual or any group of people have the right to say what they want to say,” he said.
The CAN chairman urged members of the public to disregard the statement purportedly issued by NEBN discrediting the Enugu governorship results as selective and politically motivated as it did not represent the state of affairs in the state.