From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

A statement signed by the Secretary General of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe, informed that when the matter came up for hearing on March 19, 2025, the court ordered that both parties maintain the status quo.

However, Elder Oibe noted that Hayab has been parading himself as the chairman of Northern CAN, in outright disregard to the court order that directed that the status quo be maintained, pending the hearing.

“For the record, Rev Yakubu Pam remains the legitimate chairman of Northern CAN until an election is conducted and new leaders emerge democratically, based on the Northern CAN status, as it has been the practice. We call on Christians in the North to continue to pray for peace and stability in our country”, Oibe said in the statement.

The Rev. Hayab group of the Northern CAN had penultimate Tuesday, interfaced with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in Abuja, which was attended by the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, over security challenges in the region.

In a 14-point communiqué signed by Rev. Hayab, and the Secretary-General, Bishop Mohammed Naga, the group commended the NSA’s openness.

Meanwhile, Elder Oibe’s statement read in part, “We wish to express our deep concern regarding the continuous involvement of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in the leadership dispute of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (Northern CAN).

“On February 25, 2025, a group led by Mr. Samuel Salifu and Bishop Stephen Adegbite claimed that the tenure of the current chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Yakubu Pam, had expired and convened a meeting with some people in Abuja, where they purportedly elected Rev. Joseph Hayab as the new chairman, in a process that clearly violates established procedures and due process.

“In response to these developments, on February 27, 2025, we formally notified the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), drawing their attention to the situation. Unable to find an amicable resolution, we initiated legal action by filing a suit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

“When the matter came up for hearing on March 19, 2025, the court ordered that both parties maintain the status quo and adjourned the matter to April 8, 2025. However, the case could not proceed on that date, as the court did not sit and is yet to hear the matter.

“Since then, we have observed, with dismay, that Ribadu has taken sides in this dispute despite our letter informing him about the problem. Hayab has been parading himself as the chairman of Northern CAN in outright disregard to the court order directing that the status quo be maintained, pending the hearing.

“We are aware of the meeting Ribadu held with Hayab and his group on April 7, 2025, at his office in Abuja, posing as leaders of Northern CAN. Ribadu convened the meetings and lent official support to Hayab and his faction. Such actions, in our view, constitute a clear and deliberate attempt to sow division within the Christian community in the north.

“It is particularly troubling that Ribadu seems to be encouraging Hayab to disregard the court’s directive to maintain the status quo. We believe this conduct is inappropriate and unbecoming of a senior security official, and it risks exacerbating tensions in an already delicate environment. We, therefore, call on President Bola Tinubu to caution his appointees—particularly the NSA—to refrain from interfering in matters that fall outside their constitutional mandate and which could undermine peace and unity.

“The NSA should concentrate on his core responsibility: ensuring the safety and security of lives and property across the nation, rather than engaging in partisan involvement in religious affairs.”