The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, is in the throes of a leadership crisis that has resulted in two groups laying claim to the leadership of the Association.
The defending group led by Rev. Yakubu Pam has disclaimed the new group led by Rev. Joseph Hayab for reportedly organising an election of new officials without following the due process.
The Rev. Pam group described the newly elected officials as mischief makers bent on destabilising Northern CAN for selfish and political purposes.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday – earlier today, March 4 – the General Secretary of CAN on the side of Rev. Pam faction, Elder Sunday Oibe said the action of Rev. Hayab amounted to religious coup, fraudulent and illegal.
However, when contacted by our Correspondent, Rev. Hayab said it was very clear that, “constitutionally, the tenure of Rev. Yakubu Pam and his officials had expired, it expired over two years ago. They were reelected in 2019 for the office that has a 3-year life span. We are now in 2025. So they have overstayed in the office for over two years. And constitutionally they cannot conduct or be involved in this CAN election.
“Instead of addressing the issue at hand, which is the expiration of tenure, they are busy insulting people, calling others all sorts of names. We will not join issues with them. But we will do the right thing for the development and progress of Northern CAN,” Hayab said.
But Elder Oibe, in his own reaction, said: “Last week, a group which called itself, Concerned Christian Elders of the North,” led by one Joseph Hayap, invited some people to a meeting in Abuja. At the meeting, he decided to appoint himself as the chairman of Christian Association in the 19 Northern states and the Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT).
“His co-travellers were also appointed to various positions as members of his executive. Their action, to say the least, is not only fraudulent, illegal, crude and self-serving, but also divisive and tantamount to a religious coup.
“This did not come as a surprise to us because we know Hayab’s antecedents as it concerns Northern CAN.
“We want to make it clear that Hayab is not a member of Northern CAN, and his actions are those of an individual with personal motives rather than a genuine desire to serve the Christian community.
“The so-called “Concerned Christian Elders of the North” is a recent creation by Hayab and his associates to orchestrate their mischief.
“Their primary aim is to further their selfish agenda by carrying out this illegal act. If these individuals genuinely regard themselves as elders, one would expect them to have engaged with the legitimate leadership of Northern CAN to understand the situation before taking such a drastic and criminal step.
“It is essential to clarify that the leadership of Rev. Yakubu Pam, the legitimate Chairman of Northern CAN, remains intact. Under Northern CAN’s bylaws, the Chairman serves a four-year tenure, which is renewable for another term.
“It is important to note the efforts that Rev. Pam has been making to organise elections as his second term neared its expiration. In 2024, the process of reviewing Northern CAN’s bylaws commenced, however the process could not be completed because the tenure of some state chairmen expired and there was a need to wait for the states to conduct elections to enable them to participate in the process.
“Rev. Pam had actually insisted on holding elections; however, the Northern CAN National Executive Council (NEC) unanimously decided that changing leadership in the middle of the review process would disrupt the ongoing work. The NEC thus resolved that Rev. Pam should complete the process before stepping down.
“In December 2024, when the draft of the new bylaws was ready, the NEC meeting could not be held due to the Christmas season. On January 20, 2025, the NEC convened in Kaduna, where the new bylaws were officially passed. At this meeting, Rev. Pam informed the NEC that once the bylaws were printed and dedicated, he would announce a date for elections and hand over leadership.
“The meeting expressed appreciation to him for his commitment and leadership.
With this context, it is clear that Rev. Yakubu Pam remains the legitimate Chairman of Northern CAN.
“We call on all those who are genuinely interested in the future of Northern CAN to join us in building this organization rather than attempting to destroy the foundation laid by our founding fathers.
“The actions of Hayab and his group are detrimental to the unity and progress of the Christian community in the North. We strongly call on Hayab to desist from his illegal actions. He should desist from further attempts to destabilise Northern CAN.
“We remain committed to the legitimate leadership of Rev. Pam, and we stand firm in defending the integrity of Northern CAN.
“This is a reminder to all that Christianity should not be manipulated for personal gain, and we will not tolerate fraud or deceit in our midst, Elder Oibe surmise.”
