By Egufe Yafugborhi, PORT HARCOURT

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike has cautioned the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to guard against desperate politicians inducing divisions in the association with divisive campaigns at gaining an electoral advantage over the 2023 general elections.

Wike, at an interactive session with CAN Rivers stakeholders at Government House in Port Harcourt Tuesday night noted as unhealthy, a situation where a candidate approaches a constituent family of CAN to demand ticket endorsement, an action if granted, he noted, could create division within the association and undermine the state.

The Rivers governor said, “Nobody can say that through this election, I called him or her and said, look, this is where you will go to. Nobody can also say that you came to me, to see what the church has decided to do.

“Now we are going for a local election, not a national election. Why will people begin to bring CAN into it, which we have never done before? CAN Rivers State always be one? You, going to take one of the families to say endorse this person, you’re killing CAN because this State is a Christian State.

“What I don’t like is politicians using the church because they want to benefit at that time. After that time, what happens? Do you listen to the church again?  You don’t listen to the church. If, politicians who are Christians, will listen to the church, the church will not be where and how it is today. The church would have grown stronger.

“I do things because I am one person who has so much benefit from the mercy of God. So, when people say that I am a betrayal of the Christian faith, I laugh.

“Let nobody in the Christian circle say, me I am a betrayal of the Christian faith because they will make me expose so many people and politicians.

“I am one of the apostles of Southern presidency. I stood for it and I fought for it. I did not waver. I never betrayed the interest of the south, I never and I will not do it till tomorrow.

“Anybody who knows me when I want to fight, I will fight without hiding. Let nobody bring me to that in saying that I didn’t tot support the Christian presidency, that person must be wicked to tag me that because I will not and I have never failed the church and Christendom.”

Governor Wike, however, told them to believe him when he says he is in a better position, as a politician, to tell them who among the candidates can do well as the governor of the State because he knows each of them well.

Rivers State Chairman of  CAN, His Grace, Most Reverend Dokiboeriya Kaladokubo said the next election is days away and the church and its leadership can only but continue to pray for the absence of any form of fighting or gunshot so that the exercise is conducted peacefully.