CAN Honours Tinubu, Gowon, Obasanjo, Jonathan, Osinbajo At 50th Anniversary

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo; former President Goodluck Jonathan; and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were among prominent Nigerians honoured by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at its golden jubilee celebration in Abuja.

The award ceremony and thanksgiving service, held on Saturday, recognised individuals for their contributions to the Christian community and national development.

Tinubu received the Christian Icon Award, while Gowon, Obasanjo, Jonathan and Osinbajo were conferred with the Pillar of Faith Award.

Other recipients included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Benjamin Kalu; Delta State

Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo; and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
Speaking at the event, the first lady described the award as a call to greater service to God and humanity, while commending CAN for sustaining its mission over five decades.

She thanked CAN president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, for the recognition and urged the association to strengthen unity and cooperation among Christian denominations.

Tinubu said the anniversary theme, Walking Together in Faith, underscored the importance of unity among believers, citing John 17:21-22 and Ephesians 4:4-6 as biblical foundations for Christian togetherness.

“I want you to know that this award is a call to greater work in service to God and humanity,” she said.

She prayed for continued cooperation among the various Christian blocs within CAN and wished the association more fruitful years of service, urging it to remain committed to preparing believers for the second coming of Jesus Christ.

In his anniversary address, Okoh described CAN’s 50-year journey as a testament to God’s faithfulness and the determination of Christian leaders to build a united platform for addressing issues affecting the church and the country.

He said the association was established in August 1976 by church leaders who recognised the need for a common Christian voice in Nigeria.

According to him, Nigeria occupies a unique position in Africa as the only country where diverse Christian traditions are brought together under a single ecumenical platform.

The CAN president, however, acknowledged that the association had faced challenges, including mutual suspicion, prejudice and marginalisation among some Christian traditions.

He said successive leaders had worked to overcome the divisions and ensure that constituent groups enjoyed equal rights and privileges.

The major blocs represented in CAN include the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN/PFN), Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), TEKAN/ECWA and other constituent groups.

Okoh urged Christians to protect the unity achieved over the years and resist actions capable of reopening old divisions, particularly inflammatory exchanges on social media.

He stressed that CAN belonged to all Christians, not just its elected and appointed leaders, calling on believers to contribute actively to the association’s growth and activities.

Reflecting on CAN’s public engagement over the past five decades, he said the association had consistently spoken on religious freedom, justice, good governance, corruption, insecurity, humanitarian services and national development.

He challenged the church to make its prophetic voice more informed, courageous, evidence-based and constructive in the next 50 years.

Okoh said the church must remain vigilant in defending justice, human dignity, democratic institutions, constitutionalism, religious freedom and the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians.

He identified internally displaced persons, out-of-school children, unemployed youths, rural farmers unable to access their farmlands because of insecurity, women facing violence and victims of human trafficking as groups whose interests the church must defend.

“The church must speak!” he declared, stressing that Christian faith must translate into practical compassion, public advocacy and service to humanity.

However, he cautioned that the church’s interventions in public affairs must be guided by truth, credible evidence and responsible analysis rather than rumours or partisan considerations.

He advocated what he described as “critical collaboration” between the church and government, whereby the church would support policies that advance the common good while challenging injustice and holding public officials accountable.

“The appropriate model is critical collaboration, meaning, collaborate where common good requires it, challenge where justice requires challenge, commend where government does well and warn where government fails, while maintaining the church’s independence,” he said.

The CAN president also called for stronger institutional capacity in research, advocacy, humanitarian services and national engagement.

He said the next 50 years should witness greater contributions by the church to environmental protection, climate resilience, ethical technological development and the preservation of human dignity.

On national development, Okoh maintained that Nigeria possessed the human resources and resilient communities needed to overcome its challenges, but stressed that progress depended on responsible leadership, accountability and practical action.

He urged political leaders to govern responsibly, protect citizens, respect the Constitution, account for public resources and strengthen national institutions.

He also called on Christians to pray for the country and its leaders while actively contributing to nation-building.

“The message to the church must be equally clear: pray for Nigeria, pray for those in government, speak for Nigeria, serve Nigeria, build Nigeria and heal Nigeria,” he said.

Expressing optimism about the country’s future, Okoh said Nigeria could achieve meaningful progress through collective responsibility, integrity and effective leadership.

He added that the golden jubilee should serve not only as an opportunity to celebrate CAN’s achievements but also as a renewed commitment to Christian unity and national development.

Meanwhile, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde used the anniversary to urge Christians to take a more active role in politics, warning that disengagement from the political process could undermine efforts to transform the country.

Speaking with journalists at the event, he said Christians must discard the perception that politics was inherently dirty and recognise it as an avenue to influence governance and address Nigeria’s challenges.

He said his recognition at the celebration offered an opportunity to encourage believers to move beyond political apathy and participate in efforts to rebuild the country.

Makinde cited biblical accounts involving Samuel and David to argue that Christians should not allow the conduct of political leaders or religious differences to discourage them from seeking positions where they could contribute meaningfully to society.

He recalled that Samuel emerged despite the misconduct of Eli’s sons, while David served in King Saul’s palace even after being anointed as Israel’s future king.

“I will use this opportunity to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters all across the country to brace up and participate in the agenda to transform Nigeria, to reset our country,” he said.

The governor identified poverty as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge, arguing that economic hardship, rather than religious differences, should occupy the centre of national discourse.

“Our problem is actually not religious. Our problem in this country is poverty, grinding poverty,” he said.

Makinde urged political leaders and citizens to prioritise measures that would alleviate poverty and improve living conditions, insisting that addressing economic hardship was critical to Nigeria’s transformation agenda.