Former CAN President Accuses Tinubu Of Ignoring Killings For 2027 Election

Former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Samson Ayokunle, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of paying more attention to the 2027 general election than to the growing insecurity and mass killings across the country.

In an interview, Ayokunle described the government as directionless and accused it of turning a blind eye to attacks in Plateau, Benue, and Southern Kaduna, where he said several Christian communities have been wiped out. He said the silence of authorities suggests complicity, adding that many of the attackers now occupy lands taken from their victims.

The former CAN leader, who served between 2016 and 2022, condemned what he called “deliberate inaction” by the government, insisting that the killings amount to genocide. He recounted that 21 people were recently killed in Miango, Plateau State — 20 of whom were members of the Baptist Convention — without any meaningful government response.

Ayokunle faulted attempts to frame the violence as affecting both Christians and Muslims equally, describing it as a “lazy excuse” to avoid addressing religious persecution. He said the government had failed to act for over 16 years while hiding behind false statistics.

He also supported recent warnings by U.S. President Donald Trump, who reportedly threatened action if the killings persist, saying the statement should serve as a wake-up call to Nigeria’s leaders. According to him, if foreign intervention is what it takes to restore peace, then it should be welcomed.

Ayokunle accused President Tinubu of hypocrisy, recalling how he once led protests against former President Goodluck Jonathan over similar killings. He said it was ironic that the same people who once called it Christian persecution now dismiss it as general insecurity.

He urged the current leadership of CAN to take a stronger stand on national issues and called on journalists to hold leaders accountable. Ayokunle added that Nigeria’s global image has suffered due to weak governance and corruption, saying leaders who choose power over justice would one day answer to God.