2027 Election: Former CAN President Sends Key Message to Nigerians
- Former CAN President Reverend Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle spoke to Legit.ng in Ibadan on Friday, October 2, 2026
- Ayokunle addressed the state of insecurity in Nigeria and pointed to a specific factor he believes is responsible
- The former CAN president also weighed in on the economic hardship facing Nigerians under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government
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Ibadan, Oyo State - The immediate past President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, has assured Nigerians that regardless of the political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 elections, the country will pull through.
Ayokunle made the remarks on Friday, October 2, 2026, during an interview with Legit.ng's correspondent in Ibadan, Oyo State. He was speaking on the sidelines of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Oritamefa Baptist Model School (OBMS) Cambridge A-Level College.
Source: Facebook
The clergyman urged Nigerians not to give up, saying he believed divine intervention remained Nigeria's surest anchor.
He said:
"What God revealed to me is that whatsoever is happening in this nation, Nigeria, we will survive, and His will alone will prevail. That's why we don't give up on this nation, Nigeria."
He added:
"In fact, anyone that has given up doesn't need to be in this country anymore. We see the future, which God take away from men and give to all of us in this country by Himself."
Insecurity in Nigeria has a solution - Ayokunle
On the persistent problem of insecurity across Nigeria, Ayokunle said the answer lies in the resolve of those in power to confront the crisis honestly.
He said:
"The solution to the insecurity in Nigeria is more determined leadership. The time that the leaders are no more complicit in insecurity, that time Nigerians will breathe a sigh of relief."
Source: Facebook
Ayokunle speaks on economic hardship
Ayokunle declined to directly rate President Bola Tinubu's performance but was candid about the suffering ordinary Nigerians are enduring under the current economic climate.
"Well, I'm not his assessor; the masses are his assessors, but let us speak the truth: there is hunger in the land; the cost of living is too high," he said.
While acknowledging that the removal of the petrol subsidy was necessary, he questioned whether the policy had been matched with adequate support for workers.
"Well, it is good subsidy was removed but what's the average earnings of Nigerians when we removed subsidy as it's removed elsewhere. We are planning towards the same mind the same explore but do we pay the same salary, do we pay the minimum wage that's paid in America, in UK and elsewhere?" he asked.
He warned that low wages in the context of naira devaluation were pushing workers deeper into poverty, adding:
"It is very difficult for Nigerians to breathe economically, and this is what a serious government, a government that will not play politics with the lives of the people, must address."
Also speaking at the OBMS anniversary, guest lecturer Reverend Remi Awopegba urged students not to let their background define their ceiling.
"Never let your environment or your background limit your vision. Neither permit discouragement from the experiences of others to deter you. Start where you are, but think global," Awopegba said.
Read more on 2027 elections
- 2027 election: Peter Obi speaks on rumoured agreement with Goodluck Jonathan to sack President Tinubu
- "2027 Not turn of south east": Umahi declares as Peter Obi releases bold statement
- 2027 election: VDM warns Nigerians about Goodluck Jonathan and PDP, “he is sponsored by Tinubu”
Terrorists kidnap, kill 106 health workers
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that armed groups, criminal kidnappers, and terrorists abducted 91 health workers and killed 15 others across 101 separate attacks on Nigerian healthcare facilities between 2023 and 2025, according to a new international report.
The figures come from the 'Care in the Crosshairs: Violence Against Health Care in Conflict 2025' report, published by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition. The data was compiled using Insecurity Insight's global monitoring system and covers incidents across the three-year window.
Source: Legit.ng
Ridwan Adeola Yusuf (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content writer with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.
Ridwan Kolawole (Oyo State Correspondent) Oyo state's regional correspondent Ridwan Kolawole has over a decade of journalism practice, covering politics, crimes/conflict, education, and social issues. For passion and knowledge mobilisation, Ridwan practices journalism and teaches it at the University of Ibadan.
