CAN: Beyond Denial — The Burden Of Trust And The Urgency Of Restoration

TDThe recent official response from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), under the leadership of Daniel Okoh, denying authorship of the controversial airport chapel flyer is, without doubt, a welcome clarification.

But let us be honest—clarification is not the same as conviction.
And denial is not the same as trust.

The issue before us is no longer whether CAN authored the flyer.

The deeper, more troubling question is this: Why did so many Christians readily believe that CAN could have done it?

That is not a communication problem.
That is a trust problem.

WHEN FOLLOWERS DOUBT, LEADERS MUST LOOK INWARD

Leadership is not tested in moments of applause, but in moments of suspicion.

When a constituency—especially one as battered and vulnerable as Christians in Nigeria—begins to question the intentions of its own leadership, it is not enough to issue statements. It is not enough to “set the record straight.”

You must set the relationship right.

Because if there were no cracks in the wall, the lizard would not find its way through.

This incident did not create distrust.
It revealed it.

A FRACTURED CHURCH IN A POLITICALLY CHARGED ENVIRONMENT

We must confront an uncomfortable truth:
CAN today operates in a climate where many believers perceive its leadership as politically entangled, diplomatically cautious, and always conspicuously silent in the face of existential threats.

In a nation where Christians increasingly feel:

Vulnerable to violence
Marginalised and persecuted in governance
Treated as second-class participants, with a scornful attribution of dhimmis in their own country

…every symbolic action—or perceived action—carries enormous weight.

So when a flyer emerges suggesting a religious imbalance at a Christian event, it does not land in a vacuum.
It lands on years of accumulated frustration and unanswered questions.

WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH—THIS IS A MOMENT FOR ACTION

There is a simple truth in human relationships:

When a *spouse* asks *a partner*, “Do you love me?”
The answer “I love you” may be correct—but it is not sufficient.

Love must be demonstrated.
Trust must be rebuilt.
Leadership must be felt.

If CAN truly stands for the protection, dignity, and spiritual confidence of Christians in Nigeria, then this is the moment to prove it—not by press releases, but by decisive, visible action.

WHAT MUST BE DONE NOW

This moment calls for more than damage control. It calls for institutional introspection and public accountability.

1. Convene a General Assembly

There is no better time for CAN to gather its full leadership and stakeholders across denominations and regions.
Let grievances be aired. Let direction be clarified. Let unity be rebuilt—not assumed.

2. Reassert Moral Leadership

Christians are not merely asking for representation—they are asking for advocacy.
Silence in times of injustice is interpreted as consent.

3. Establish Clear Boundaries with Political Power

Engagement with government must not become entanglement.
The Church must never appear subordinate to the state, nor ambiguous in *her* allegiance to truth *and moral as her pristine reason d’entre in society*

4. Communicate with Empathy, Not Just Authority
This is not a time to rebuke the flock for “overreaction.”
It is a time to understand why the reaction came at all.

THE DANGER OF DISMISSAL

It is deeply concerning that part of CAN’s response appears to focus more on the failure of critics to verify information than on the legitimacy of the fears expressed.

Yes, misinformation is dangerous.
But so is dismissiveness.

Because when leaders appear more offended by criticism than concerned about the condition of their people, they risk widening the very gap they seek to close.