Ayo Oritsejafor re-elected as Christian Association of Nigeria president with landslide victory

PASTOR Ayo Oritsejafor has been re-elected as the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (Can) at its recently held elections in Abuja despite fierce criticism of the way he has run the body.

Elected as Can's first ever evangelical minister, Pastor Oritsejafor has come under a lot of criticism lately for the cosy relationship he has with President Goodluck Jonathan and his ruling People's Democratic Party. From within the Christian fold and outside it, his style has been criticised as jeopardising Can's independence.

Despite all this, however, Pastor Oritsejafor was re-elected with a landslide margin, polling 80 votes, with his while his only opponent, Reverend Oyekunle getting just four votes. Delegates opted for an open ballot vote in which elections were conducted by a show of hands in an attempt to ensure the process was transparent.

This election will now be subject to ratification by Can's general assembly due to meet on July 9 this year. In what appeared to be an acceptance speech, Pastor Oritsejafor thanked members of the national executive committee who have given him another mandate to pilot the affairs of Can for another term.

He also used the opportunity to express concern about the menace of Fulani herdsmen who he said are a part of an agenda to Islamise Nigeria. Pastor Oritsejafor noted that cattle rearers are illiterates who have been schooled in the art of using sophisticated weapons including AK 47s.

He blamed greedy traditional rulers who collect cattle gifts and huge sums of money in exchange for farmlands in their domains which the Fulani use as bases for their nefarious activities including raping women and killing innocent indigenes while these rulers look the other way. Urging Christians to be extra vigilant about the activities of Fulani herdsmen, Pastor Oritsejafor said they are not against cattle rearing but Nigerians can no longer continue to accept crude methods of grazing cattle.

Pastor Oritsejafor added: "They should take the cows back to where they came from while grazing their cattle in modern grazing grounds in their homesteads. If they want to be carrying assault weapons, they are at liberty to use same on themselves.”

According to him, European and American citizens eat beef just as other nations of the world do, but do not have cattle on their highways. He called on state governments to provide modern grazing grounds for their cattle rearers where they would stay and give their children a proper education.

Of late, Pastor Oritsejafor has come under attack over his taking delivery of a private jet, joining the growing list of wealthy clergymen in Nigeria. It had been reported that President Goodluck gave him the jet but the Can president has denied the claim, saying it was presented to him by church members in commemoration of his 40th year on the pulpit on November 10, 2012.