CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has dissociated itself from a cleric allegedly linked to the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, declaring that it has not authorised any political campaign or endorsement in its name ahead of the 2027 general elections.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said Archbishop Chivir Chianson, who allegedly presented himself as the association’s General Secretary, had no official mandate to speak or act on behalf of the Christian body.
In a statement, Okoh also disowned a group reportedly using CAN’s name to mobilise support for a political candidate, insisting that neither Chianson nor the organisation had any institutional affiliation with the association.
The clarification followed public reactions to the endorsement of Tinubu’s second-term ambition by the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), whose Secretary-General is Chianson.
The conference had reportedly declared its support for the President’s re-election during its 2026 synod held in September.
However, CAN stressed that the endorsement was entirely the position of the conference and should not be interpreted as the official stance of the association or an authorised political decision.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Archbishop Chivir Chianson is not the General Secretary of CAN and has no authority or mandate to speak or act on its behalf,” the statement said.
The association urged Christians, members of the public and media organisations to disregard any claims suggesting that Chianson or his group officially represented CAN, reaffirming its position that it had not endorsed any political candidate for the 2027 elections.
