By Wumi Oyehan
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged Christians in Nigeria to ensure that there are unity and cooperation among them.
Mrs Tinubu stated this at the CAN 50th anniversary celebrations in Abuja, where she and four former Presidents and Heads of State were among prominent Nigerians honoured for their contributions to the Christian community and the country.
Tinubu received the Christian Icon Award, while former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo received the Pillar of Faith Award.
Other awardees included: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; and governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Monday Okpebholo of Edo and Seyi Makinde of Oyo states.
Tinubu, in her keynote address, said fifty years of service to God and humanity in any organisation is no small achievement.
”It is certainly worth celebrating,” she said.
The theme for the celebration is ‘Working together in faith’.
She noted that the theme, that Christians must remain united in faith and common purpose and resonates with the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, quoting John 17:21–22.
Senator Tinubu said, “In addition, Ephesians 4:4–6 reminds us that there is one body and one Spirit, just as we were called in one hope; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; and one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
”I pray that, just as Christ prayed for the saints, all the Christian blocs and denominations will continue to remain united in Jesus’ name.”
In his welcome address the President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, warned that internal divisions and failure to speak against injustice could weaken the church’s role in national development.
Okoh traced CAN’s establishment to August 1976, when church leaders came together to create a common platform for Christians to address issues affecting the church and the country.
He described the association’s five-decade journey as evidence of the commitment of successive Christian leaders to unity, despite differences in doctrine and church traditions.
He, however, acknowledged that the organisation had experienced periods of suspicion, prejudice and marginalisation among some of its constituent groups.
Okoh said successive administrations had worked to overcome such divisions and promote equal rights and privileges for the different Christian traditions represented in the association.
He identified the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN/PFN), Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), TEKAN/ECWA, and other constituent groups as part of CAN’s broad membership.
The CAN President warned against conduct capable of reversing the progress made towards Christian unity, particularly divisive and inflammatory exchanges on social media.
He emphasised that the association belonged to all Christians, urging members to take ownership of its activities rather than leave its growth solely to elected and appointed leaders.
On CAN’s role in national affairs, Okoh said the association had, over the past 50 years, spoken on religious freedom, justice, good governance, corruption, insecurity, humanitarian intervention and national development.
He challenged the church to strengthen its advocacy in the coming decades by ensuring that its positions were courageous, constructive and supported by credible evidence.
He said CAN must continue to defend human dignity, constitutionalism, democratic institutions, religious freedom and the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians.
Among those requiring greater attention, he listed internally displaced persons, out-of-school children, unemployed youths, farmers denied access to their farmlands by insecurity, women facing violence and victims of human trafficking.
“The church must speak!” he declared, calling on Christians to translate their faith into practical compassion, public advocacy and service to humanity.
However, he cautioned that the church must base its interventions on truth, credible evidence and responsible analysis rather than rumours or partisan interests.
On the relationships between government and religious institutions, Okoh advocated what he called “critical collaboration”, arguing that the church should support policies that advance the common good while challenging injustice and demanding accountability from public officials.
“The appropriate model is critical collaboration, meaning, collaborate where common good requires it, challenge where justice requires challenge, commend where government does well and warn where government fails, while maintaining the church’s independence,” he said.
He further urged CAN to strengthen its capacity for research, advocacy, humanitarian services and engagement with national development issues.
According to him, the church’s agenda for the next 50 years should include environmental protection, climate resilience, ethical technological development and the preservation of human dignity.
Okoh maintained that Nigeria possessed the human resources and resilient communities needed to overcome its challenges, but stressed that progress depended on responsible leadership, accountability and practical action.
He called on political leaders to protect citizens, respect the Constitution, account for public resources and strengthen national institutions.
He also urged Christians to complement prayers for Nigeria and its leaders with active participation in nation-building.
“The message to the church must be equally clear: pray for Nigeria, pray for those in government, speak for Nigeria, serve Nigeria, build Nigeria and heal Nigeria,” he said.
The CAN president expressed confidence in Nigeria’s future, saying the golden jubilee should serve as a springboard for renewed commitment to unity, integrity and national development.
Meanwhile, Makinde used the anniversary to urge Christians to take a more active role in politics, warning that withdrawing from the political process would limit their ability to influence governance and national transformation.
Speaking with journalists at the event, the Oyo State governor challenged the perception that politics was inherently dirty, urging believers to participate in shaping policies and leadership decisions.
He said Christians must not remain on the sidelines while expecting the country to change.
Makinde drew lessons from the biblical accounts of Samuel and David, arguing that the shortcomings of political leaders should not discourage believers from seeking positions where they could contribute to society.
He recalled that Samuel emerged despite the misconduct of Eli’s sons, while David served in King Saul’s palace despite being anointed as Israel’s future king.
“I will use this opportunity to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters all across the country to brace up and participate in the agenda to transform Nigeria, to reset our country,” he said.
The governor identified poverty as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge, insisting that economic hardship, rather than religious differences, should be the priority of national discourse.
“Our problem is actually not religious. Our problem in this country is poverty, grinding poverty,” he said.
He urged leaders and citizens to focus on practical measures to reduce poverty and improve living conditions, stressing that meaningful national transformation would require sustained efforts to address the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.