When on February 3, 2015 the Rivers state governor, Chief Rotimi Amaechi alleged that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led federal government bribed some Nigerian Christian clergymen with N6 billion to campaign against the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians believed that it was the usual political campaign of calumny to outweigh the opposition. Only few days later some notable Christian clergy confirmed the allegation.

However, the alleged N6 billion distributed by President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign team to Christians Association of Association (CAN) has torn the association in Kwara State apart as members disowned leadership of the state chapter of the association as claim and counter claims has continued to rave the air in the state of harmony.

It would be recalled that a pastor in Borno State revealed that Presidency had gave N7 billion through CAN President to all State chapters of the association.

While disowning Kwara State leadership of CAN, members of the association serving under present administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed under the banner of Conference of Christians in Kwara State Government Chaired by Hon C.T Ayeni and its Secretary, Ayotunde Olaitan Oyeniyi described action of Dr Olusola Ajolore and Prof Opoola as enemies of peace and harmony of the state.

The Spokesman of the Conference, Hon Bode Olayemi, commissioner for Housing and Urban Development alleged that both Opoola and Ajolore organised a seminar where they shown gully- film to compel Christians to against APC and painted the party to be behind Boko Haram.

“Rather than concentrate on prayers for peaceful election,in March and April,2015,this Ajolore -led group mustered Nigeria’s financial resources to sponsor the seminar by engagin canvassers to go into the electoral wards of Kwara State to the grassroots level and deliberately discredit and misinform the public about the APC Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammed Buhari.

“Is Kwara CAN now a political party or an arm of a political party? Where did Kwara CAN raise funds to go into political canvassing at the grassroots instead of missionary works? “Definitely this is from the N7 billion presidency largesse. Are we to use Nigerian resources to destroy our fellow brothers and sisters?

The Christians members of the CAN who disclosed that some of them walked out from the purported seminar said the prayer session held at St. Barnabas Cathedral turned out to be an obnoxious theatre for fanning embers of discord among peace loving people of Kwara state.

“We observed and we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the obnoxious dubious seminar is a calculated attempt by a handful of misguided, timid and demon-minded elements hiding under the cover of a section of CAN Kwara, to discredit and stain the good marks of His Excellency, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed who has been and continue to be champion of peace, progress and harmony through his Christians Friendly programmes and policies especially in the area of appointing Christians to political offices”.

The Conference who call for immediate arrest of the both Opoola and Ajoloore and stop circulation, showing of the content of the ‘obnoxious seminar said they should be prosecute in order to keep peace among different faith in the state and appealed to people of the state irrespective of their religious, ethnic and political affiliation to continue to live in peace and harmony always.

But in a similar circumstances, the prominent Christian leaders in Kwara state urged the leadership of the state’s chapter of the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) to resist any attempt by politicians to use the religious body to achieve sinister political agenda.

Addressing newsmen in Ilorin last week Wednesday on behalf of Kwara Christians in Leadership for Peace and Development (KWACILPAD), Reverend Cornelius Fawenu lamented that the new trend of using religion to play divisive politics at the national level has clandestinely found its way into the state.

Fawenu who is also the Assistant Secretary of CAN in 19 northern states and Abuja, further lamented that this development “is already threatening the enviable inter-religious peaceful cop-existence in the state”.

Equally, he added “that as coalition of Christians in leadership with the pure objective of promoting peace and development in Kwara state, we wish to align our selves with the position of the conveners of Christian Professionals for peace and good governance to condemn in the strongest terms available such clandestine effort by infiltrators to cause disaffection between Christians and Muslims in the state.

“That the Kwara state committee on Religious natters as a matter of urgency should arise immediately to do what it has always done very well by reaching out to religious leaders of both the Christian and Islamic faith to further re-emphasis the need to protect the laudable inter-religious peaceful existence being enjoyed in Kwara state.

“That we appreciate the commitment of the government of Kwara state under the dynamicleadership of Dr. AbdulFatah Ahmed to peaceful co-existence and security of lives and properties in the state and that as we go into the general elections the government through the security agencies, traditional institutions and community development unions should do its best to arrest the rising wave of political thuggery that is being witnessed in the state in recent times”.

While calling on Kwarans of all religions and political persuasions to help protect the peace of the state and Nigeria at large, Fawenu noted that it would be catastrophic for the entire country if Kwara, noted for its unequalled peaceful environment was allowed to be divided along religious line ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

But however, when contacted on the development, the Kwara state CAN chairman, Prof. Timothy Opoola on phone during the week, denied the allegation, saying that it was all a political campaign aimed at rubbishing and tarnishing the image of Kwara CAN built over the years.