CAN Asst Secretary Sanyaolu Defends Inclusion In APC Campaign List

CAN Assistant General Secretary Sanyaolu has defended the appearance of his name on the Presidential Campaign Council list of the All Progressives Congress.

 

Newsonline reports that the Assistant General Secretary, of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, on Friday, disclosed his reason for accepting the offer to serve as the Deputy Coordinator, Stakeholder Relations, in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council.

He said his acceptance of an offer to serve was a personal decision that had nothing to do with the apex Christian body.

Also: Full List: Identity Of Northern Top Christian, Muslim Leaders Planning To Boycott APC Muslim-Muslim Ticket

 

Sanyaolu also disclosed that he had been a card-carrying member of the APC since 2020, and had also contested for the Ogun Central senatorial ticket in the party’s primaries in May this year.

He spoke while reacting to the controversy that trailed the appearance of the names of about eight CAN officers and members in a “revised list” of the APC presidential campaign council despite the public stance of the  Christian body against the same-faith ticket ahead of the 2023 elections.

However, Sanyaolu urged the public to place a distinction between his personal life and position in CAN; stressing that he had been active in partisan politics in the past three decades and had served as a Commissioner in Ogun state government between 2003 and 2007.

He said, “It is pertinent for me to state that as a member of CAN and an Apostle of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim (ESOCS) Church, I have been in partisan politics for some over three (3) decades.

“I have been involved in politics from the grassroots to state and national level. In the course of my political sojourn I have had cause to be a member of several political parties and lately, the All Progressives Congress (APC). My participation in partisan politics is largely known to the Church, members of the congregation and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

“On the return of democracy, I served in the cabinet of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Governor of Ogun State as Commissioner between 2003 and 2007. I was later appointed as the Chairman of the Ogun State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board based on my publicly known religious postures and involvements,” he said.

There was serious tension, on Thursday, at CAN when about eight members opposed to the Muslim-Muslim ticket appeared on the list of the Presidential Campaign Council of the APC.

Among them is the Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, who was recruited as Assistant Coordinator; its controversial Lagos State chairman, Stephen Adegbite (member); Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Comfort Chigbue (member); and Testimony Onifade, former Personal Assistant to immediate past CAN President, Samson Ayokunle (member).

Others are Victor Ivoke, Personal Assistant to Rev. Daniel Okoh, current President of CAN (member); CAN former Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Kwamkur Samuel (member), and Prof. Para-Mallam (member).

Since the names were made public, the issue had remained the topic of discussion in several churches and WhatsApp groups of CAN leaders.