From Mariam Aleshinloye Agboola, Jos
THE Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN in Plateau State has condemned the kidnapping of the President of the Tarayyar Ekklesiyoyin Kristi A Nijerriya (TEKAN), Reverend Emmauel Dziggau, and two other church leaders by unknown men in Kaduna and called on Christians in the country to pray for their immediate release.
The State Chairman of CAN, Dr. Soga Bwewarang said in a statement issued in Jos that it was disheartening that the dastardly act of abducting men for ransom has now made the church its target; urging all Christians to rise in prayers for the three men to be released.
The three church leaders; the President, the TEKAN/ ECWA bloc leader in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev Illiya Anto as well as the TEKAN Vice President, Rev Yakubu Dzarma (rtd) were kidnapped in Kaduna on March 21.
Plateau CAN chairman decried the use of text massages and discussions in some quarters to connect their kidnapping with the forth coming election into the national body of CAN, saying attention now should be focused more on their safe release.
While expressing the optimism that they are still hale and hearty wherever they are, he said it is when they are released that the truth about the whole saga would be known.
In the same vein, National Youth President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Daniel Kadzie warned the Christian body not to associate the kidnapping of its members with the forth coming election; saying such insinuation could only cause division in the body of Christ in Nigeria.
Speaking in Jos, he said “Kidnapping is a criminal act that has nothing to do with the church, and whoever is linking their disappearance with the CAN election is not just an enemy of the church but a mischief maker.”
politics
Ondo 2016: APC zones guber, deputy slots to north, central
By Razaq Bamidele
BARING last minutes change of plan, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has zoned its governorship ticket in Ondo State to the northern senatorial district of the state, Sunday Sun can exclusively report.
It was gathered at the weekend that the APC leadership arrived at the decision in view of the fact that the other two zones- South and Central- have utilized their slots. While the outgoing governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko represents the Central Zone, the immediate past governor, the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu was from Ondo southern senatorial axis.
But when contacted for comments, the South-West Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr. Ayo Afolabi said, “I am not aware of such a development,” adding that, “the leadership of the party at the highest level has not decided on that yet.”
According to him, when the party reaches the level of zoning, the leaders would decide on what is good, not only for the party, but also what is good for the good people of the state.
However, a source close to the leadership of the party told Sunday Sun in confidence at the weekend in Akure that, the party had taken the arrangement into consideration during the search for ministerial nominees in the state last year, saying, “that was the reason the ministerial slot was given to a nominee from Ondo South. Professor Cladius Omoleye Daramola, the current Minister of State for Niger Delta hails from Ode-Aye in Okitipupa Local Government in the Ondo Southern axis where Agagu, the immediate past governor also hailed from.
The slot of the running mate, according to our source, unarguably now goes to the central where the outgoing governor hails from.
Sunday Sun further gathered that, should a Muslim aspirant from the north emerge as party candidate during the primaries, a Christian running mate from the central axis would pair up with him and vice versa.
Prominent governorship aspirants from Ondo north include a sitting Senator, Professor Ajayi Boroffice, former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), President, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), a renowned banker and financial expert, Alhaji Jamiu Ekungba and a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief (Mrs.) Jumoke Anifowose.