By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has downplayed the reports making rounds that Most Rev. Daniel Okoh has emerged as the new President of the Association.
Reports contained in a statement by the CAN’s General Secretary, Barrister Joseph Daramola in Abuja, had claimed that Rev. Okoh had emerged as the president made the rounds on Tuesday afternoon.
Though It was true that the Most Rev Okoh emerged as the candidate from the Electoral College, formal consent had to be given by the National Executive Council and the General Assembly.
However, CAN has refuted the claim saying that Daramola is not the spokesman of the Association but the General Secretary and that the letter from where the claims originated was the Invitation Letter sent to the members of the National Executive Council to finalize the steps necessary for the election of the new president.
This was contained in a statement signed by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the Media Assistant to the CAN’s President, His Eminence, Rev, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, and made available to Stonix News on Tuesday night, July 26, 2022.
The statement listed out processes and steps involved in the emergence of the president in CAN’s Constitution, viz:
“According to the CAN’s Constitution, Article 17 (9) viii-xi, the National Executive Council and the General Assembly must ratify the nomination of the candidate before the new President emerges.
“So, the process is still ongoing and it will be completed on Thursday. It is true that the Most Rev Okoh has emerged the candidate from the Electoral College but this must be ratified by the National Executive Council and the General Assembly.
“Perhaps, it is imperative to state what the Constitution says about the remaining process:
“According to Article 17 (9) (viii), “The candidate who secures majority vote of the Electoral College for each office shall be recommended to the National Executive Council.
“Article 17 (9) ix states “The National Executive Council shall accept the recommended candidates for the offices of the President and the Vice President and present them to the General Assembly for ratification by the majority of votes of those qualified to vote The Most Rev Okoh has indeed(9) x stars. a
“In the event that any candidate of a majority vote of the General Assembly, the procedure in paragraphs (4), (5), (6), and (8) herein shall be repeated by the Electoral College to reconsider the suitability or otherwise of all the candidates based upon the reasons adduced by those who opposed the candidature.
“The Electoral College may or may not substitute any candidate for any position based on majority vote of its members.”
Article 17 (9) xi states. “In the event of a deadlock in which case the candidate represented is rejected by the General Assembly, a combined meeting of the Electoral College and the President-in-Council of the Association will examine the issue(s) and make a final choice from all the nominated candidates for the office.
“CAN is scheduled to hold its General Assembly on July 28 which where the new President will be made known to the public,” the statement listed.
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