Why I Stopped Discussion with Buhari, Pastor Tunde Bakare Breaks Silence

Tunde Bakare, the senior pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly, on Thursday, said that President Muhammadu Buhari never listens to his ideas on how to move Nigeria forward.

Bakara, who was Buhari’s presidential running mate under the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in 2011, said the president did not listen to his advice.

Bakare who said this while speaking with BBC Yoruba, said that Nigerian leaders are corrupt and have steered the country to its current state.

The fiery pastor said many people voted for Buhari because they thought that, as a former military leader, he would understand the nation’s complexities and be able to lead the country on the right path.

He said: “Things have turned upside down. They say the elders are the ones disrupting the nation, but it started with the youths. The coup plotters in the military — there are people that were 20 years old, 30 years old — they are the ones that brought us to where we are. They brought us here before they grew old in the job and refused to leave.

“Our leaders are corrupt. Let’s assume the military destroyed the government, what happened to our civilian government? Although many of them moved from the military, we still don’t know if we are in a military or civilian era.

“Nigeria will continue to deteriorate unless we turn around and make amends and ask those stronger than us to help us.”

He added that it was through the group that Buhari first saw him and decided he could bring him close, saying that he had in mind to help Nigeria.

According to him, people thought someone who had once served as a military head of state, would make Nigeria better and progressive once he becomes president, but instead of making things better, everything has worsened.

Bakare stated: “But God is not asleep. Some of my friends accuse me of bringing Buhari to power. I explained to them that he is someone I used to see and discuss the way forward with, that he would listen but once you leave, nothing comes out of the discussion. Then I decided to stay back.”

The pastor, however, said he had not lost hope and that he keeps praying that there will be a turnaround for the country.