A group under the Ona Ara chapter of the Christian Association Nigeria in Oyo State has accused the state chapter of the association of imposing Reverend J.O. Adekunle as the chairman of Ona Ara.

The group's stand was made known in a release made available to Tribune Church and jointly signed by Pastor A.O. Bakare, Prophetess Akinwumi, Pastor Philip Dairo, Reverend A.A. Aderonmu, and Evangelist Rotimi Oladejo.

In the statement, the group stressed that the election that brought in Adekunle was not properly conducted. “To start with, we wish to state that the messy situation in Ona Ara CAN was the product of Oyo State CAN hierarchy's insensitivity. We the aggrieved majority members of Ona Ara including block heads expected the new Oyo State CAN chairman, Pastor Johnson Ayo Olabisi and his executives to focus on the unity of Christians now under the his leadership but unfortunately the reverse was the case. The state hierarchy of CAN continues to side one faction of the association,” the group stated.

Continuing, the statement read that “We resorted to a legal man's action after our letters were not responded to by the chairmanPastor Olabisi. The leadership of CAN should learn that we are all living interdependently. They had oppressed us for too long and taken our gentility for stupidity.

The so- called elected officers on Tuesday 27th Dec. 2011 for Ona Ara CAN should not parade themselves as our leaders as their election was questionable as not all blocks participated. There were peace and reconciliatory moves by concerned ministers and leaders which were snubbed by the imposed ministerJ. O. Adekunle.”

While reacting to the allegations, the present Southwest chairman of CAN, Reverend J. Akinfenwa stated that it was shocking that such allegations should be coming up from the group, just as the revered cleric stated that the imbroglio in that part of the body had long been resolved. According to him, “This is a dead matter. I am no longer the CAN chairman for Oyo State even though I am still the CAN chairman for the Southwest. There was no time that I took a decision singlehandedly in CAN. I find it childish. The man is almost using up his term. It was a protracted problem at that time. I was just one person in CAN at that time. We set up a committee to go and do some work. There were about three committees. We even pleaded with them.

“We said in CAN, you don't get anything instead you contribute. We said allow this man to do his term and then you can come and take your own. We appealed to all of them at that time. I am sure that the man is almost finishing his tenure.

What you are talking about is three years ago. God has helped CAN to get out of the woods seriously and I won't want the new man who is there and the executive to have their hands soiled. The person that Aderounmu is fighting for, we sat with him, we have discussed, we have sorted out, we have embraced with the executive. We appealed to all of them in the name of Christ to toll the line of peace.”

Reacting in the same manner, the Oyo State chairman of CAN, Rev J.A. Olabisi, stated that “We conducted an election there which was free and fair. The parties that applied for chairmanship position contested and the one that was elected won. There was nothing like imposition. Reverend Adekunle won the election.”

Speaking to Tribune Church, Apostle M.O. Ayeni, one of the members of the group accusing the state hierarchy of the imposition said that “They did not allow anybody to contest with him. Nobody was allowed to contest against Adekunle. It was a Kangaroo arrangement. Rotimi was not allowed to contest against him. I was not even aware when the election was conducted.”