8 July 2007
Lagos — General Assembly of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) last Friday refused to endorse the return of Most Rev Peter Akinola as its Vice President.
Akinola, the Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, was the immediate past president of CAN.
A new Executive Council was elected for the association penultimate week with Most Rev. John Onaiyekan, emerging as president, after beating Akinola, who automatically would have become the vice president.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Assembly at its meeting on Friday in Abuja, was supposed to ratify the election and listen to the president's acceptance speech.
But events took a dramatic turn when the assembly ratified the election of Onaiyekan, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja as president, but rejected that of Akinola.
NAN reports that some of the members who kicked against Akinola insisted on a new election.
Others, however, faulted that position, citing the constitution which forbids the General Assembly from conducting an election, as it was only limited to ratifying those elected by the electoral college.
Under the procedure, when an elected candidate is rejected by majority of the General Assembly members, the electoral college will be requested to reconsider his suitability.
The college may return the candidate or choose another for ratification, but the law forbids the General Assembly from compelling the college to substitute the defeated candidate.
Some of those who opposed Akinola, opted for Archbishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).
With tempers rising in the course of the argument, some members cautioned against allowing the disagreement to divide the house.
NAN reports that the assembly eventually decided that the election of the Vice-President be referred back to the electoral college for a fresh election.
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