The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has stood behind the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye after a group protested against his silence on national issues.
The group led by rapper Eedris Abdulkareem had staged a protest at the church’s headquarters on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday over what they described as silence from the preacher on national issues.
In a statement on Wednesday by the National Director, Legal and Public Affairs of CAN, Kwamkur Samuel, the body said no one should expect Adeboye to speak on the same issues that have been addressed by CAN and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) which Adeboye is a part of.
“While we appreciate the concern of the protesters over the issues they raised and the call for a better nation, we strongly believe, as the umbrella body for Christians and churches in Nigeria, to which the Redeemed Christian Church of God and Pastor E. A. Adeboye belong, that to single out one of our leaders and members, to say the least, is unfair. The entire exercise, in our view, was ill-motivated.
“The people who staged this insulting protest against a highly revered servant of God in the person of Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye are totally ignorant of the operations of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
“It needs to be known to all that for more than once, Pastor E. A. Adebayo has addressed the press and said that as a ‘man under authority’, he cannot speak over issues that CAN or PFN have spoken about, unless by the express permission of these two bodies,” the statement said.
CAN also said that any protest against Adeboye would be seen as a ‘systematic insult’ against the leaders of the church in Nigeria.
It urged the protesters to direct their future protest to the government.
