Christian Association Lagos State Chapter, speaking through his Chairman, Bishop STV Adegbite had on the 26th of February 2022 at her annual event Inter-Denominational Divine Service honored Sanwo-Olu as her grand patron and declared a no vacancy position at Alausa. CAN gave total support to Sanwo-Olu, its newly anointed choice and grand patron.

Events unfolding from Lagos however seems to be pitching Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the superman of Lagos politics against CAN’s position, this may not be unconnected to the decision of the Christian organization to play active role in the political process in the country through the establishment of Department of Politics and Governance by PFN a unit of CAN.

In what looks like a swift response, Asiwaju has advised Governor Babajide Sanwoolu to drop his ambition to run for a second term in office and this according to news monitored online, published by News of the People.

This new development has made the endorsement of the governor for a second term by CAN an issue. It has also made the Governance Advisory Council, GAC a ruse and further confirmed that the GAC is a mere lobby group without any party constitutional authority.

News of the People claims it was reliably informed by a credible source that Governor Sanwoolu has already been informed by the ‘oracle’ to forget the ambition while another candidate has been told to obtain a nomination form.

An insider revealed how the governor went flat on the floor like Northerners did on behalf of Ambode for a second term before the “god” of Lagos, when he was told of current happenings but all pleadings as in Ambode’s case didn’t yield a positive response.

The governor was said to have been told to keep to the agreement of one term as it was never on the table that he (governor) would run for a second term.

Now, the governor has been thrown into confusion on how to inform Lagosians and his loyalists that he would not be running and the supposedly concensus agreement has collapsed.

Meanwhile, News of the People further gathered that a preferred candidate who retired as a permanent secretary has been directed to obtain a nomination form from the party secretariat. He is Mustapha Olorunfemi, formerly of Lagos state Ministry of Science and Technology.

An insider who was privy to the politicking at Bourdilon simply said “‘Mr. governor has been told to forget the ambition just the way he was asked to obtain a nomination form in 2019’ advising that, the governor should just carry his cross or make an attempt to fight. The choice obviously is his”, the source concluded.

All Christian Organizations in politics must learn a lesson from this, as I have always opined. It is against the ethics of democracy to impose a candidate on a political party, this is exclusively the duty of the party through internal democratic process, though this has been murdered in APC in Lagos State where imposition of candidates has been instituted by Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Fashola was singularly picked and put forward for mere party formalities, Ambode followed a similar pattern, though a christian in answer to the cries of christians at that material time for a christian Candidate, he was singularly picked by Baba Eko. Sanwo-Olu is up against what he once enjoyed against Ambode, with this pattern of BAT democracy; can Bola Ahmed Tinubu be said to be a Democrat and Lagos State a democracy? APC members in Lagos must be weary of a system that holds the 6th economy in Africa and over 25 million people down to one man and his family.

The church must not be part of this conspiracy, our role scripturally as a christian organization is better understood in what took place in the house of Jesse where Samuel gave equal opportunity to all the sons of Jesse who like party candidates were all qualified. But God was allowed to make his choice in David. We must give same opportunity to all, and allow the people to make the choice for God, for the voice of the people as the saying goes is the voice of God.

If the church is interested in supporting the aspiration of candidates then she must position her members in political parties to participate in the internal process at chosing candidate. Public prophecy in this regard will only ridicule the church. One thing is sure, this decision has drawn the line of political battle between CAN and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As for members of GAC they should be content with their advisory role; this better served to the person who needs it. They must refrain from public proclamation as in the case of tactical attempt made to arm twist the shaky hands of the Jagaban.

This move by Bola Ahmed Tinubu raises questions on political and intellectual jihad which many believe have been well entrenched in Lagos State since 1999. How can same man who is set for a Muslim/Muslim tickets be so determined to drop Sanwo-Olu a Christian for a Muslim? What an insensitivity and direct insult to Christians.

CAN must demand from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu whatever informed this publicly.