Bishop Chikwe emerges as Imo CAN Chairman after months crisis

The eight-month leadership crisis that affected the Imo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been resolved with the emergence of Moses Chikwe as the new chairman.

Chikwe, who serves as Auxiliary Bishop of the Owerri Archdiocese, emerged after a prolonged dispute that followed an earlier inconclusive election.

The crisis started when the Catholic candidate, Gerald Njoku, failed to secure the two-thirds majority required by the association’s constitution.

He reportedly polled 45 votes, while 38 members declined to ratify his candidacy, leaving him short of the threshold needed to be declared winner.

It was gathered that the association remained without a substantive chairman for over eight months following the inconclusive poll.

In line with CAN’s constitutional provisions, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria was asked to present another candidate for a fresh round of voting by the Electoral College, as the chairmanship slot was zoned to the Catholic bloc.

The fresh election, held on Friday at the CAN Secretariat, produced Chikwe as chairman after he emerged as the sole candidate nominated by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the election, Chikwe described the process as peaceful, noting that all delegates voted in his favour.

“All five blocs, their delegates and the national delegation participated in the election, which was inconclusive the last time. I received 73 out of 73 votes. Everyone voted for me as chairman,” he said.

Chikwe assured that the association would return to its core mandate of promoting unity among Christians and advocating justice in society.

“We must be the salt of the nation and return to the objectives of the association. We must be the voice for the voiceless, protect human rights, and uphold the sanctity of human dignity.

“As a Christian organisation, we must serve as the moral conscience of society and reflect the light of Christ in Imo State,” he added.

The new chairman pledged to work closely with all blocs within the association, including the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Christian Council of Nigeria, Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Organisation of African Instituted Churches, TEKAN, and ECWA, to strengthen unity within the body.

“We will bring all the blocs together so that we can build unity and speak with one voice as Christians, making Christ the centre of all we do, because He remains the unifying force,” Chikwe stated.

A stakeholder and legal adviser to the association, Oluchukwu Nnabugwu expressed satisfaction that peace had returned to the organisation.

He said the rotational leadership arrangement, which zoned the chairmanship position to the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, had been upheld.

“We thank God that peace has returned to CAN in Imo State. We call on members to support the new chairman to ensure the success of his administration,” Nnabugwu said.

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