Rev. John Joseph Hayab.
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri–
The Executive Council members and stakeholders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have unanimously expressed their confidence in the leadership of the newly elected Chairman, Rev. John Joseph Hayab.
NATIONAL ACCORD reports that this endorsement was made during a meeting held in Abuja on February 2025, demonstrating the unity and support of the CAN Northern States Chapter behind Rev. Hayab’s leadership.
Speaking to Journalists in Maiduguri in his office on Tuesday, the General Secretary of the 19 Northern States CAN, Bishop Naga Mohammed, said the election which led to the emergence of Rev. Hayab as Chairman and other executive council members was conducted in a peaceful and transparent manner.
It will be recalled that the tenure of the past leadership has expired and they have overstayed, in office which generated serious public outcry for change.
Bishop Mohammed, who is also the General Overseer of the Biblical Christian Church (BCC), called on Christian faithful, especially those from the Northern extraction to continue pray for peace, unity and progress of the region hitherto affected by act of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities.
The bishop urged Christians to pray for peace and unity, while also calling on the Muslim community to pray for the same during the Holy Month of Ramadan, specifically for the unity of the North. This unity according to him is in line with the doctrine of late Sir Ahmadu Bello, a key figure in Northern Nigeria and pioneer Patron of Northern Nigerian CAN.
His words: ” I want to register our support for our substantive chairman Rev Joseph Hayab.
” This is because, he was duly elected alongside other executive members to which all the churches and all the leadership of Christians in northern Nigeria remain loyal and submit to, and we obey him.
“So, any other group who thinks that they must be in power for life, the stakeholders in the northern part of Nigeria, the general Secretary of national CAN, the northern CAN and respective states, who were in attendance have given honor to the election. And the election is standing and we are loyal.
“So, I just want to tell the world and particularly we in the northern part of Nigeria that we have a leader to whom we can submit and talk about Christians matters.
“We are for peace, and we know our antecedents and history of Northern Nigeria. The CAN itself is founded in northern Nigeria, which by the grace of God, our father who has been a man of peace, the Premier of Northern Nigeria Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna of Sokoto.
” He was the first patron of CAN. So, you can just see we are brothers and sisters and we believe in peaceful coexistence.
“Anybody who want to breach this peaceful coexistence from generations past, I think he is an enemy of progress.
“I want to conclude with this and called on the entire Nigerians to embrace one another, especially brothers who are fasting, the Muslim to pray for Nigerian peace and pray for the progress of our dear country, particularly we in the North” he said.
