The Lagos Chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria in a statement published on its Facebook Page has said its chairman, Bishop Stephen Adegbite was misquoted in the viral news story with the headline, God will punish us if we dont vote for Tinubu. Below is the statement signed by Adegbite’s media aide, Very Rev. Oladapo Emmanuel Daramola. Find below the statement
MISLEADING STATEMENT CREDITED TO THE LAGOS STATE CAN CHAIRMAN
Dearly beloved, it’s quite possible that you have read a story published by BLUEPRINT NEWSPAPER, a National Daily, where the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Lagos State, Rt. Rev. Dr. S.T.V Adegbite was quoted as saying *”God’ll punish us if we don’t support Tinubu – Lagos CAN”*.I can reliably inform you that this headline is not only misleading but totally out of context. This is not damage control but setting the records straight.As a trained Journalist, the first thing I did was to look at the by-line, and in doing so, I realised the story was lifted from an online media platform called TREK AFRICA MEDIA.So it wasn’t a report that came from BLUEPRINT NEWSPAPER but one they published with some recklessness.The name credited to the story is OKI SAMSON, and at 18:55 pm on Monday, 17th October 2022, I had a phone conversation with him to know what exactly transpired and what factually was said during the interview.He confirmed to me that he was also shocked when he saw the headline cast by the Editor and was amazed at the twist.He said the Bishop went down memory lane at a programme organized for Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the Federal Lawmaker representing Lagos Central Senatorial District somewhere here in Lagos over the weekend, and while reminiscing, he spoke about how his personal relationship with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has grown over the last 23 years and what the former Lagos State Governor has done for Christianity in Lagos State.“At the end of his narrative, he said and Oki Samson quotes; *”God will not forgive me if I do not vote for Tinubu.”*Clearly, the aforementioned was said in his personal capacity and premised on his wonderful relationship with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.“He was not speaking on behalf of Christians or as the Chairman of CAN in Lagos. The Bishop is quite mindful of his position of trust as the Leader of Christians in the State and would never speak loosely or anything close to that.The writer of the original story has promised to tell the story as it was gathered and this will be shared as soon as it is done.But please accept this as a fact and kindly ignore whatever was published in the BLUEPRINT NEWSPAPER or what has been shared so far.Many thanks.
Very Rev. Oladapo Emmanuel DaramolaSpecial Adviser to the Lagos State CAN Chairman on Media, Public Relations, and Strategic Communications
1 comment
Unfortunately because he is the CAN chairman, his position will be construed as the official one.
However for one who feels such a sense of debt to a candidate he is is in a position to push in favour of that candidate.
The line between his personal views & actions and the CAN position is blurred.
Groups like CAN are not designed in such a way as to insulate them from the private inclinations of their leaders, in that light it is not unreasonable to say that his personal views are the de facto position of CAN even if not officially proclaimed as so