Northern Christian Forum Denies Rift with CAN, Labels Viral Article ‘Fabricated’

By Emmanuel Kwada

The Chairman of the Forum of Northern Christians and the FCT (formerly known as Northern CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, has firmly dismissed claims of a rift or breakaway from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), describing a widely circulated article linking the development to comments by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as entirely fabricated and misleading.

In a direct engagement with journalists on Wednesday, March 4, Rev. Hayab addressed the viral piece titled “Oluremi Tinubu Bombshell: How First Lady’s CBN News Interview Became The Final Nail In CAN’s Coffin As Northern Christians Dump Umbrella Body, Register NCA“. He described the article as “beautifully written” but deliberately crafted to sow division where none exists.

“The stories making the rounds claiming Northern Christians had cut links with CAN due to the ‘excesses’ of Christians in the South are unfounded and do not represent the intentions of Northern Christian leaders,” Hayab stated.

He emphasized that the recent name change and re-registration represent a return to the body’s historical identity established in 1964, long before CAN’s formation in 1976, rather than any act of separation.

Hayab clarified that the decision stemmed from consultations with national CAN leadership, including a meeting on October 23 last year.

“It was the Christian Association of Nigeria that first suggested we should not use the name ‘Northern CAN,’ so as not to cause confusion among the public when our issues are being addressed,” he explained.

The national body advised adopting a distinctive regional identity to prevent media misunderstandings about the relationship between the Northern forum and the overarching national structure.

“All churches in the North are with CAN and are with us because we are all together as one body,” Hayab affirmed. “We are not fighting and are still active members of CAN; therefore, there is no need for a truce to be brokered when there is no conflict in the first place.”

The change was formalized at a stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna, attended by CAN chairmen, secretaries, and representatives from youth and women’s wings across the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The body is now officially registered as the Forum of Northern Christians and the FCT, also known as the Northern Christian Association (NCA). The deliberate omission of “Nigeria” from the name was made out of respect for the parent national body.

Hayab expressed deep respect for CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh, calling him “the last person anybody would want to hurt.” He accused those spreading the rift narrative of deliberately attempting to create discord.

“The NCA and CAN are together—one addressing national issues while the other addresses Northern regional concerns,” he said.

The chairman also rejected suggestions that the forum is “anti-government.” “We are known for telling the government the truth for the sake of national development,” he noted.

“Every responsible government should pray for people who will tell them the truth, not those who act like ‘nice guys’ only to let the country fall. We love this country and will help it develop by speaking truth to power.”

While acknowledging that CAN remains capable of addressing Northern issues, Hayab explained the value of a strengthened regional voice: “It’s not that CAN can’t address issues in the North. It’s just that the issues in the North can be overwhelming and might becloud the general workings of CAN. That is why there is a need to strengthen the Northern Christian leaders’ forum.”

The forum plans to prioritize regional challenges such as religious freedom, access to education, shortages of Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) teachers in schools, and limited admission opportunities for Christian children in parts of the North.

“These are serious issues that demand focused attention,” Hayab said. “Our priority is to ensure our people are treated as equal citizens and given the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to nation-building.”

The clarification comes amid heightened scrutiny of Christian unity in Nigeria, particularly in the North, where security and socio-religious dynamics often dominate discourse.

Rev. Hayab’s statements reinforce that the restructuring aims at clarity and effectiveness, not division, positioning the Northern forum as a complementary arm to CAN’s national efforts.