Breach of process: Catholic secretariat, others distance self from Adamawa YOWICAN election
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) and some Organizations of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), have today distanced themselves from the election of Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) over alleged blatant disregard to procedures and constitutional remits.
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A statement signed by Joseph Usman Bulama, CSN youth leader, express disquiet over the resort to self help by the commandeers of such election heist saying that it an anomaly that can never be condoned.
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“Our attention has been drawn to the purported election into offices of the Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) in Adamawa state.
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“We, the representatives of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), some Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) and some stakeholders have come to express our disappointment over the purported election and publicly dissociate ourselves from the show of shame of an election,” Bulama said.
He accused the organizers of the polls as being clever by half for deliberate distortion and manipulation of information to get undue leverage to do as they wish.
“Sequel to the letter communicating the postponement of an earlier fixed election scheduled to hold on Friday 25th August, 2023 and duly passed to YOWICAN, Adamawa State Chapter, by the Christian Association of Nigeria, Adamawa State through the Directorate of Youth as recognized by the Constitution of YOWICAN, we the blocs of YOWICAN had not prepared ourselves to be part of any such thing as election.
“One begins to wonder at what point the national body of YOWICAN agreed to hold another election after duly communicating an indefinite postponment of the election without any counter correspondence to that effect.
“In any case, who would have mobilized for the election other than the main body of CAN in Adamawa State through the Directorate of Youth? Mind you, prior to the purported election, the State Chairman of CAN and the Director of Youth had publicly announced that there would be no election as insinuated,” the statement said.
Bulama allegedly accused one Mr. Bako who imposed himself as the national secretary as the brain behind such illegality adding that the so called Bako has no constitutional remit to conduct the election.
“The action of one Mr Bako claiming to be the national secretary of YOWICAN and acting on behalf of the national body of YOWICAN is unacceptable to us. If Mr Bako were rightly representing the national body as claimed, where was a letter duly signed by the national president and other relevant persons nominating him for such role? How come Mr Bako did not report to the appropriate quarters in the state, whose duty it is to pilot the affairs of YOWICAN in the state on his arrival? Give him update on preparation of the said election before taking over activities.
“One dares to question when the secretary of the body began to overrule the collective decision of the entire body and duly communicated through the appropriate channel to those concerned. Who constituted the Electoral Board made up the national secretary and past national officers from the North East all of TEKAN-ECWA extraction?
“YOWICAN has election procedures as contained in the constitution of the body and for this purported election nothing was done in accordance with laid down laws and cannot be said to be a valid election.
“Even on the very day of the purported election, the Director of Youth, who has the mandate of the mother body of CAN in the state to mobilize for and monitor such election had announced that election cannot hold on the date as duly communicated by the national body and that if any election held, it would be without the approval of the State body of CAN, which should actually be the body to prepare grounds for such election, emphasizing that the national body of YOWICAN allegedly represented by the national secretary cannot just walk in to conduct elections without following due process.
“Bearing in mind that Adamawa State has witnessed YOWICAN crisis in the last four years, one should be careful not to jeopardize the fragile peace being witnessed in the state.
“The activities of Mr Dedad Clifford, a serving police officer, whose primary responsibility should be that of maintaining law and order should come under serious scrutiny.
“We dare say that all his activities are with the intent of breaching the fragile peace of the state. We hereby appeal to the state Commissioner of Police and indeed the Nigeria Police Force to call Mr Clifford to order as he has veered off the honourable path of nation building to that of breaching the peace of the state.
“How come the national secretary is from TEKAN-ECWA, the former national officer on the Electoral Board, Mr Ajiyu is also from TEKAN-ECWA and it was only the TEKAN-EKWA bloc that had full representation? This can safely be said to be a TEKAN-ECWA coup against the state. This cannot stand.
“We are by this conference formally informing the national and zonal bodies of YOWICAN that no valid election has taken place in Adamawa State. That Mr Bako, his cohorts and sponsors should be investigated and sanctioned accordingly and if there is any break down of law and order emanating from the YOWICAN election, Mr Dedad Clifford should be held responsible for such breach.
“We roundly reject the kangaroo election purported to have been conducted for YOWICAN, Adamawa State. We condemn the inordinate ambition of the perpetrators of such a disdainful act and dissociate ourselves from such a dubious behavior.
“We have come to tell the world by this conference that were not and will never be a part of that dubious concoction of an election, therefore, the election is null, void and of no consequence whatsoever,” he said.
