The Nigerian Tribune reports that the Christian Association of Nigeria has taken the highly unusual step of refusing to ratify defeated presidential candidate Archbishiop Peter Akinola as its vice president. The association had previously taken the equally unusual step of denying Akinola a second term as president. The vote is a setback for Akinola’s allies in the United States and the United Kingdom who have attempted to position him as the chief spokesman of African Christianity.
An excerpt:
The General Assembly of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Friday refused to endorse the return of Most Rev. Peter Akinola as its Vice-President.
Akinola, the Anglican Archbishop for Abuja Archdiocese, was the immediate past president of CAN.
A new National Executive Council was elected for the association last week with Most Rev. John Onaiyekan, as President.
Onaiyekan defeated Akinola, who automatically should have become the deputy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Assembly at its meeting on Friday 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 but rejected that of Akinola.