Some two years ago, the leadership of Catholics in Nigeria wrote to CAN president on their intention to suspend participation in the activities of the association he presides over. This followed what they perceived as his unwholesome romance with the Nation's Presidency and politicization of the association.
With the recent arrest of an israeli and two Nigerians in South Africa over what can be described as money laundry involving the private jet of Mr Ayo and the haphazard manner the presidency moved in to claim the said $9.3 Million, one is left with no other options than to ask himself: are the Catholics vindicated?

Below is a report on the Catholics withdrawal from CAN carried by Premium Times.

The Christian Association of Nigerian, CAN, an umbrella body for the country’s teeming Christians, descended into full-blown crisis Wednesday with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria making public its decision to pull out of the fold over the way the Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor-led executive is running the association.
The Catholic bishop’s action is perhaps the first time in the association’s 37-year history that any of its five blocs would pull out over alleged poor leadership and politicization of the association.
CAN was formed in 1976 by five Christian blocs in the country: the Christian Council of Nigeria; the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria; Organisation of African Instituted Churches, and the Evangelical Fellowship of West Africa.
But in a letter to Mr. Oritsejafor in September but made public Wednesday, the Catholics, one of the association’s most influential blocs, said it was temporarily exiting “over some recent attitudes, utterances and actions of the national leadership of CAN which in our opinion negate the concept of the foundation of the association and the desire of Our Lord Jesus Christ”.
The letter, dated September 24, 2012, is signed by Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBNC) and addressed to Mr. Oritsejafor.
Mr. Kaigama said his group was suspending “participation in CAN meetings at the national level until such a time the leadership of CAN reverse back to the original vision, mission and objectives of CAN”.
Expatiating further on its grouse with the Oritsejafor-led leadership of the association, the bishops lamented that CAN had been politicized and was no longer being used to promote peace and unity in the country.
“CAN is being dragged into partisan politics thereby compromising the ability to play its true role as conscience of the nation and the voice of the voiceless,” the bishops said.
Mr. Oritsejafor has often been accused of being divisive in the way he is running the association, often making comments in support of the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government and President Goodluck Jonathan.
Some Christians believe he has pushed CAN into ignominy with his utterances and actions making Nigerians to regard the association as an arm of the PDP.
Mr. Oritsejafor became even more unpopular among his colleagues and around the country in late 2012 when he got a new jet as gift from unknown donors even as many more than 70 percent of Nigerians live below the poverty line.
He is yet to disclose the names of those who gave him the jet. But he maintained that the jet would enable him to travel around Nigeria and the world for evangelism with little or no flight delay.

https://m.premiumtimesng.com/news/116774-why-we-pulled-out-of-can-catholic-bishops.html

D presidency has d right to send any one on an erand, be it d christian or moslem leadership. Involvement in politics cannot make anyone turn evil if d person wasn't already evil-inclined inwardly. D catholic leadership should put their house in order first, begining from d vatican. An error at d top should not inspire secession from d units. But rather, it should make room for democratic changes or wholesome efforts at influencing d leader towards a postive lifestyle dat would be acceptable by d majority. Christianity is not a rigid or extreme religion. The GRACE has made having or spending money d choice of d individual adhererant. It is not a decider when entry into heaven is considered. That allusion to the cow and d eye of a needle is just to guide against the hoarding or misuse of wealth to d detriment of d poor or d downthrowden. Moderate and high taste in living are attainable in christianity, even as Jesus was known to have identified wid kings and rulers of very high taste, such as david and solomon. Those who want to creat an arithmetical method for d christendom are on their own. It could be assumed that they want to creat a problem, divide and rule and sit atop as holierthanthou!

nairalife2013: D presidency has d right to send any one on an erand, be it d christian or moslem leadership. Involvement in politics cannot make anyone turn evil if d person wasn't already evil-inclined inwardly. D catholic leadership should put their house in order first, begining from d vatican. An error at d top should not inspire secession from d units. But rather, it should make room for democratic changes or wholesome efforts at influencing d leader towards a postive lifestyle dat would be acceptable by d majority. Christianity is not a rigid or extreme religion. The GRACE has made having or spending money d choice of d individual adhererant. It is not a decider when entry into heaven is considered. That allusion to the cow and d eye of a needle is just to guide against the hoarding or misuse of wealth to d detriment of d poor or d downthrowden. Moderate and high taste in living are attainable in christianity, even as Jesus was known to have identified wid kings and rulers of very high taste, such as david and solomon. Those who want to creat an arithmetical method for d christendom are on their own. It could be assumed that they want to creat a problem, divide and rule and sit atop as holierthanthou!

this is a pretty huge pile of excuses.

Ubenedictus:

this is a pretty huge pile of excuses.

if Oritsejafor is guilty of involvment in any kind of illegal arms deal, he should be shown d way out, not for identifying wid d presidency or in having wealth. Datz what I mean.

nairalife2013: if Oritsejafor is guilty of involvment in any kind of illegal arms deal, he should be shown d way out, not for identifying wid d presidency or in having wealth. Datz what I mean.

so you are ok if the church become a government parastatal?

Nairalife is right, the presidency has the right to send anybody on an errand. After all, election is coming soon, we need guns for Jesus!

CAN is one of the reasons why I came out of the closet as an atheist. I will not have those charlatans purporting to speak on my behalf. I'll rather be persecuted.

Ubenedictus:

so you are ok if the church become a government parastatal?

yes and a govt parastatal becomes a church, esp road safety! They always find fault and crave to always arrest my pretty wife even as all her suv's papers and drivr's I'd are always intact!

EvilBrain1: Nairalife is right, the presidency has the right to send anybody on an errand. After all, election is coming soon, we need guns for Jesus!

CAN is one of the reasons why I came out of the closet as an atheist. I will not have those charlatans purporting to speak on my behalf. I'll rather be persecuted.

thanks EVILbrian dear. Investigation is stil ongoing. If orisejafor is found guilty he ll certainly be shown d way out. He wasn't in d plane. Enroute SA, those chaps dat hired d plane could have done anytin wait, dis ya name, d beginin is really scarry! We don't need guns for Jesus. Pls sheat thy sword.

There is no point for Nigerian catholics to pull out of CAN because of its political involvement.The catholic leaders in the world have always been patners with world leaders. Over the years they have developed strong relationships. They have blessed the arms of troops of armies during wartime, They have influenced many government decisions, they have not hidden their support for world leaders.

Efere701: There is no point for Nigerian catholics to pull out of CAN because of its political involvement.The catholic leaders in the world have always been patners with world leaders. Over the years they have developed strong relationships. They have blessed the arms of troops of armies during wartime, They have influenced many government decisions, they have not hidden their support for world leaders.

You're absolutely right.