Nigerian Christians at home and abroad will be shocked by the reported crass opportunism of some of their religious leaders as next week’s presidential polls draw closer, SaharaReporters has learned.

Authoritative sources disclose that during a meeting of Christian leaders held recently, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor expressed a strangely personal reason why he is not supporting the clamor of Nigerians for change in the country.

Oritsejafor told his colleagues at the event, which was convened at the Redemption Camp of the Redeemed Christian Church of God on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that oil bloc leases are due for renewal this year, and if the Buhari-Osinbajo ticket prevails, his chances of owning one would diminish.

“The oil in my father’s backyard,” he specifically said. “I don’t own one bloc, and all these Northerners have oil blocs!”
The CAN president has been known to be an ardent supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan, and anopponent of his leading challenger, General Mohammadu Buhari. What shocked many of the Christian leaders at the meeting, howver, was his message that he was less interested in good governance or the killing of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, and more so about his desire to also own an oil bloc this year.

Reported to be an even more vocal supporter of Jonathan at the meeting was Bishop David Oyedepowho reportedly said it would be an insult to have any of the Christian leaders at the meeting to vote for Buhari. At a point, a respected pastor, Bishop Mike Okonkwo of TREM, lambasted the meeting for not inviting Pastor Yemi Osinbajo to witness the meeting, being himself a Christian leader and pastor.

According to Okonkwo, the least the Christian leaders could have done was invite Osinbajo and hear from him, adding that not doing that was “an act of cowardice.”

Oyedepo, our source said, did not take kindly to that suggestion from a Bishop of equal caliber, and demanded an apology from Okonkwo. Okonkwo, equally annoyed, insisted on his position and refused to offer an apology at the tension-filled meeting.

Sources said the conveners of the meeting did not want to invite Osinbajo as the candidates on the other ticketwere also not represented. But some sources at the meeting said it was a disgrace that a fellow pastor at their level, running for Vice-President was not even allowed to sit in at the meeting which was convened under the banner of the Nigerian Apostolic Coalition,membership of which he was entitled to.

While Oyedepo maintained his advocacy for President Jonathan at the meeting, at times in vehement anger and outright disrespect for the opposing views of the other pastors, a leading Bishop from the North spoke up against the plans of Oyedepo and Oritsejafor to mobilize support for the president. Christian leaders in the North have always criticized the ...

CONTINUE HERE: http://www.beriahng.com/2015/02/with-10-days-to-election-jonathan.html

People Destroy People (PDP)
Patience Courtois Jonathan(GK)
#DEFENDERS
Ceazar Clarks Azpilicueta
Branislav Suswan Ivanovic
John Adamu Terry
Gary Fayose Cahill
#MIDFIELDERS
Nemanja David Mark
John Obi Mimiko
Ramires Okonjo Iweala
Cesc Namani Sambo
Yaya Akpabio Toure
#ATTACKER
Diego Goodluck Jonathan
#COACH
Jose Jega
#FORMATION
4-5-1
Association of Past Criminals (APC)
victor Tanbuwah Valdes(GK)
#DEFENDERS
Vincent Tinubu Company
Gerald Oyegun Pique
Marcello Bisi Akande
Sagna Rotimi Ameachi
#MIDFIELDERS
Xavi Fashola Hernandes
Andreas Okorocha Iniesta
Mesuit Oshiomole Ozil
#ATTACKERS
Cristiano Atiku
Lionel Osibanjo
Luis Buhari Suarez
#COACH
Louis Van Obasanjo
#FORMATION
4-3-3
#REFEREE
INEC
Hmmm,I smell match fixing here..PDP are
parking the bus,so APC will find it very
difficult to score.