Theophilus
Abbah, Kayode Ekundayo, Chris Agabi, Adelanwa Bamgboye, Mohammed
Shosanya, (Lagos), Sule Lazarus, Nurudeen M. Abdallah, (Abuja) &
Ismail Mudashir, Kaduna
Pastor Tunde Bakare
If
you are in search of one man who does not suffer fools gladly, you will
find such a character in the interesting personality of fire-spitting
pentecostal minister of the gospel, Pastor Tunde Bakare.
His
incendiary style of ministration and public advocacy has endeared him
to a multitude of admirers in the polity. It has also earned him enemies
in almost equal proportion. He is the classical advocate of, beg your
pardon, not the Devil but a dogged exponent of the bitter truth. Of
course, this singular single-mindedness has earned him uncomplimentary
epithets from his critics both in the sacred business of preaching the
gospel and in the combustible world of partisan politics. It could not
possibly have been otherwise for somebody who has had a glimpse of the
world from vantage perspectives. He is pastor with a profound Islamic
background who is venturing into the turbulent stream of partisan
politics. He is one pastor who has used the pulpit to preach highly
controversial sermons seeing himself, as it were, as a prophet in the
mould of Elijah of old raised by God as judgment to nations and their
leadership
that have gone astray from the word of God. It is no wonder that he has
also tended to stay in judgment against whatever, in his view, amounted
to heretical practices of churches and pastors of The New Testament
Ministry of Jesus Christ, especially in this country. It is one battle
that had pitched him against the most formidable and highly revered men
of God and their super congregations. If you are a first time worshipper
in his celebrated Latter Rain Assembly at Ogba in lkeja, Lagos, you
will be forgiven if you erroneously think you are in a civic class
instead of a church auditorium if Pastor Bakare is the man doing the
preaching.
Pastor Bakare recently stepped up his advocacy
credentials by joining the league of preachers who have taken to
politics in recent time. They are: Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household
of God Reverend Jolly Nyame of the United Methodist Church of Africa
(UMCA), a three time governor of Taraba state, Professor Yusuf
Obaje, former Chaplain of the Aso Rock chapel, Reverend Father Moses
Adasu of blessed memory, a Catholic priest who became Governor of Benue
State and governor David Jonah Jang, who was ordained pastor before his
election in 2007.
The pentecostal pastor who was born on the
11th November, 1954 epitomizes a cliché of different stroke for
different people. Bakare, to some is controversial considering his
positions on contemporary issues, including his colleagues in the Lord’s
vineyard, but to others, he is a man of integrity who needn’t dabble
into the murky waters of politics.
Pastor Bakare rose from humble
beginnings to a position of influence. He was born into a Muslim
polygamous family that had many conflicts and rivalry. Although he did
not enjoy a conventional childhood, he struggled through life’s phases
to make something of himself.
He did not grow up to know his father but was brought up by his mother, Madam
Abigail Eebudola Bakare along with other siblings.
Bakare
attended Lisabi Grammar School and also spent a year at Zumratul
Islamiyya Grammar School? where he had to re-sit Mathematics, and later
gained admission into the University of Lagos in 1980 to read Law. He
had earlier rejected an offer of admission into another university to
study a different course.
Pastor Bakare’s marriage to Mrs Olayide
Bakare in 1984 played a pivotal role in his life, career and ministry.
Mrs B, as she is affectionately referred to by her husband has been
involved in the ministry work all her adult life and has served
alongside her husband since their wedding in 1984.
First as a
co-pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly and presently a member of the
board of trustees of the church, Mrs Bakare has been instrumental to the
growth and development of her husband’s ministry. The union has
produced five children.
his criticism his
troubles
His critical stance on issues had run him into trouble
many times. For instance, when the late M. K. O. Abiola forayed into
politics in 1993 and became the presidential candidate of the Social
Democratic Party (SDP), Bakare warned, “Is there no old man in MKO’s
house to restrain him, because once he begins, he will not come out
alive”? That was before the June 12, 1993 presidential elections, the
aftermath cost Abiola his life.
Again, to Abacha, he warned, “the
tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Abacha, your time is up… People
of Kano prepare to receive the corpse of another Head of State.” Weeks
later, General Sani Abacha died suddenly and was buried in Kano.
BAKARE AT GANI’S CHAMBER
The
late legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) used to call Pastor Tunde
Bakare “Abubakar Sindiku,” being his Muslim name. Pastor Tunde Bakare
practised Law in the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s
Chamber, Anthony village, Lagos. He also practised law in other law
firms in Lagos, including “Awosika and Awosika”, before he established
his own law firm which was known as “El-Shaddai Chamber”.
Olatunji
Akinola, a Lagos based lawyer, told our correspondent that he had a
case “Jaiyeola vs. Jaiyeola” which was then before Justice Omotunde
Ilori, (who later became the Chief Judge of Lagos State). In that case,
it was two factions in a family that engaged in a legal tussle over a
will.
According to Akinola, while the legal battle was raging in
court, one of the children of the deceased could not access money to pay
his school fees and almost dropped out of school, but himself
(Barrister Olatunji Akinola) and Bakare, not only agreed, but also
applied to the court and the child’s school fees was deducted from the
estate while the case was still in court. Today, that child is a lawyer.
He described Bakare as a hardworking,
steadfast and industrious personality.
His words: “he (Bakare)
will never give in to cheating. He is a down-to-earth person and pursues
whatever he believes in with all dexterity.”
Barrister Oluwole
Kehinde, one of the lawyers in the defunct Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, told
our correspondent that even though he didn’t meet the fiery cleric at
the chamber, his name was still written in gold.
According to
him, while there, Bakare was hardworking, principled and very friendly.
“He was close to late Gani Fawehinmi’s family.He didn’t have any
negative record of transaction or dupe any client to soil the image of
the chamber’’.
He said these attributes are a manifestation that
Bakare is one of the conscience of the nation who can be trusted at all
times. He said his Vice Presidential ambition under the CPC is in order.
According to him, his match with General Muhammadu Buhari, who is equally an upright person,
is a deserving one and will benefit the nation in the long run.
On
Monday, January 31, 2011, Tunde Bakare was picked by the presidential
candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), retired General
Muhammadu Buhari as his running mate for the 2011 presidential election.
THE BIRTH OF SAVE NIGERIA GROUP
The
quest for political change pushed Bakare with other people of like
minds to form the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) in January 2010, following
the vacuum created in the presidency when the late President Umaru
Yar’adua took ill and was flown abroad for medical attention on
November 23,2009 .
SNG is a non-profit political society
organization committed to creating a political environment that
guarantees only the best, brightest, fittest and most competent
Nigerians are democratically elected into public offices, bound by a
credible constitution that promotes and protects the rights of every
Nigerian.
SNG, which comprises eminent Nigerians, demonstrated
in Abuja, Lagos and other major cities of the country. It also
demonstrated in the United States, London and Australia. The group
demanded the transfer of power from the president to the vice president,
Goodluck Jonathan. It was the pressure mounted on the National Assembly
that led to the emergence of Jonathan as acting president, which doused
the embers of political instability that lurked around.
Yinka
Odumakin, Publicity secretary, Buhari/Bakare presidential campaign
organization said “I have worked with him (Bakare) closely in the last
three years and I can say he is a fearless, patriotic and sincere
Nigerian. He shares the same vision with General Mohammadu Buhari and is
very committed to any cause that he believes in.
“He is a man
whom you can take his word to the bank. He is one of the few men around
whom I can vouch for. Although, I have been following him
since 1993 when he started the Latter Rain Assembly Church, I developed
a close bond in the last three years and I have searched through him,
and there is nowhere that his reputation is in doubt. He will do well in
public life if given the opportunity to serve
HOW BAKARE WILL HELP BUHARI
On
mobilization of the christendom and at peace with other men of God,
Odumakin said “in the last two days talks have commenced. Early this
week, Bakare and Buhari met with the General Overseer of the Redeemed
Church of God. Bakare is not only appealing to Christendom, but to all
segment of the society. The day his name was mentioned as the running
mate to General Buhari, some youths opened a facebook page calling for
volunteers to work with him. Within one week, 6,000 youths had
registered to work with him.
Odumakin said though the South-West
had the most sophisticated voters, Buhari/Bakare ticket will secure
block votes. What is going to
happen in this region is that we are going to have technical votes and
at the end of the day, Buhari/Bakare ticket will hold sway. If you look
at all other political parties, Buhari/Bakare ticket represents change
and because Nigerians are desirous of change, they will vote in that
direction. The South-West is going to be the game changer, more so
Pastor Bakare belongs to Omoluabi- the Yoruba value system where moral
is greatly cherished.
HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER MEN OF GOD
Bakare
had also been critical of some of his colleagues and this is believed
to be his undoing, and which may count against him at the polls. The
preachers with large followership whom he criticised include Bishop
David Oyedepo of the Living Faith, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Pastor
Kumuyi of the Deeper Life Church. He accused them of turning the church
into a mere theatre where people go to be amused and entertained by
actors and actresses. He criticized the
Lekki 98 programme of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and the
yearly Shiloh programme organised by Bishop Oyedepo’s Winners’ Chapel.
Bakare told journalists in an interview that he will not even dignify
that (Shiloh) by a comment.
“I’m not criticising them. For the
Redeemed Church, the theme was the visitation of God or something to
that effect; so that you don’t miss the day of your visitation.
And
I said, this is how you know if people are backward. Is He visiting us
now or does He want habitation after He had died and has risen from the
dead and He’s now in heaven and the Holy Ghost is here? It’s no longer
time of visitation that you might built up a habitation of God. A
visitor is different from one who inhabits. Because He’s a visitor, He
comes and goes. That’s why people don’t have His presence to carry Him
in their hearts. It’s not an empty criticism; it’s just that you know
how we, as a people, are.
That’s all.
On Oyedepo’s Shiloh, he said, “I’m not dignifying it
with a comment because there’s no difference between him or whoever is
perpetrating the things they are doing and the man they’re trying to
crucify called T. B. Joshua. What’s the difference in their practices?
Very little. The Christianity of chattels, of oil, of mantle, of washing
of feet? Where are those things? They should show it to me in the
Bible. And I can tell you where it is from.”
Bakare had publicly
torn a book written by Bishop Oyedepo, claiming its contents were
contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ. After Bakare was announced
running mate to Buhari, Oyedepo urged his followers to “register to vote
and you’ll be told how to use them.”
It’s not clear if Oyedepo will ask his men to vote for or against Bakare’s CPC.
WHAT MEN OF GOD SAY ABOUT BAKARE’S FORAY INTO POLITICS
Reverend
Father Tony Bassey, the Parish
Priest, St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute, Ogun State said it is a
good development. “I have personally advocated good Christians to be in
politics. So it is a good thing for Nigeria that good Christians and
Muslims are veering into politics. The only concern is that they should
be able to introduce God’s fear in leadership. I think religious
leaders will be the ones who will help fix Nigeria. I think we should
give them a chance,” he said
According to Blessing Okafor, a
Catholic, the question of religion should not even arise because Buhari
could have chosen anybody.
“If we can but, for once, keep away
religious inclinations in politics; come to think of it, can we be
judged to be true to the religion we profess and ‘seem’ to practise? she
asked.
Okocha Kenneth Chukwudi who attends one of the
Pentecostal churches didn’t find Bakare’s foray into politics funny. He
dismissed his ambition and referred to it as
antics of “end time pastor,” reminding Bakare of his prophesy that
ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo will not smell the presidency.
Ben
Mamedu advised pastor Bakare to remain a critic. “Like the late Gani,
we love him, but there is no opposition party that possesses the
national spread to take over Aso Rock just yet, so let him be a critic
like late Gani.”
Steve Tolu Agbota asked what a pastor like
Bakare is doing in politics. He also asked if he will still continue
with his pastoral work if his boss wins.
“Too many questions for
Tunde to answer. A time is coming when everybody will start sitting in
their various rooms and worshipping God because these days, we don’t
know the pastor who is truly serving God. Can someone boldly tell me
what the hell men of God are doing in politics?”
Esther Fashe Olubakinde, a Catholic, said Pastor Bakare has been called to proclaim the good news, thus he doesn’t have business
with politics because he will abandon his soul wining business.
WHY BUHARI CHOSE BAKARE
Indications
emerged that the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,
Malam Nasir el-Rufai, might have sold the idea of Pastor Tunde Bakare to
the CPC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. But Sunday
Trust could not get the details of the pact.
However, giving an
insight into why General Mohammadu Buhari picked Pastor Tunde Bakare as
his running mate, a close associate of the former head of state, Colonel
Hameed Ali (rtd), said General Buhari opted for the cleric because of
his outstanding pedigree, antecedent and his stance on the situation of
the country.
Colonel Ali, who was military administrator of
Kaduna State, told Sunday Trust that General Buhari wanted a person of
his like mind as running mate and that he found same in Pastor Bakare,
hence his nomination.
“Pastor Bakare has a good character
that endears him to many in the country. His outstanding qualities are
like that of the General. Nobody can pinpoint or link anything negative
to him. And these are things, qualities General Buhari want,’’ he said.
According
to him, Pastor Bakare is a great mobiliser, will assist boost the
candidature of General Buhari in the South-West where he is from.
Commenting
on the choice, a former chairman of the Conference for Nigeria
Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, who led the
opposition to back the candidature of General Buhari in 2007, said the
selection of Pastor Bakare was purely a CPC affair, but that an
arrangement was in the offing between the party and seven other
political parties to confront the ruling PDP.
He said the party,
under the new arrangement tagged Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN), will
pull resources together in order to defeat the PDP at the polls.
Already, he said a pact tagged
Patriotic and Democratic Election Alliance has been signed by the
political parties which he listed to includes the CPC, Labour Party,
PRP, PMP, NPP, PNP, ACP, PAC and NAP.
According to him, in no
time, an announcement will be made as per their presidential candidate
and that all parties in the CNN have been left to field candidates
pending the final meeting of the coalition.
At their final
meeting, he said, all candidates and their running mates will be
screened with a view to determine their acceptability, popularity and
integrity.
“We, in these parties, have all agreed to support one
presidential candidate with the sole aim of wresting power from the PDP.
The nomination of Bakare is the decision of the CPC, it is their party
affair. Other political parties under the CNN have done the same. Soon,
we will convey a meeting and decide out of the candidates who have
emerged winners in individual parties, the one we are going to
support. At this moment, others will have to back down,’’ he said.
BUHARI/BAKARE TICKET IS WHAT NIGERIA NEEDS - ISYAKU IBRAHIM
Buhari’s
choice of Bakare is the right thing to do, a frontline politician and
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim, told
Sunday Trust. He said that the Buhari/Bakare ticket is the best for the
country. “Buhari’s choice of Tunde Bakare is very good for Nigeria.
Everybody knows Bakare. He is a religious leader and activist. Some
people say he is a church leader but and then so what?” he said.
He
explained that Nigerians easily forget, saying; “who is Martin Luther
King? Was he not a church leader? But he brought a revolution to
America. Today, Barack Obama is enjoying the legacies of Reverend Martin
Luther King; Reverend Jesse Jackson; Reverend Andrew Young; Arch Bishop
Desmond Tutu and so on. Who told Nigerians that religious leaders
cannot be good leaders? It
is always good for us if we have leaders who are godly and God
–fearing. Bakare is a man of sanity and moral uprightness,” the PDP
stalwart said.
Ibrahim said that the Buhari/Bakare is beautiful
combination for Nigerians who are sincere. “If it is religion, he is
there to represent the interests of the Christians. And Buhari is not
the first person to do that. I welcome the choice of Bakare as Buhari’s
running mate. I saw them this morning and I congratulated Tunde Bakare. I
went to see Buhari this morning and he introduced me to Bakare and I
also met my good friend, Prince Tony Momoh. The two people have a
pedigree Nigeria needs at this time to develop,” he said.
The
politician explained that Buhari’s unblemished record as a military
governor, Minister of Petroleum, Head of State and chairman of the
Petroleum Trust Funds (PTF), is unparalleled. “He is the type of leader
Nigeria needs. He is going to restore good governance
in the country. He has already picked two items that will fix the
country that is: energy and security. If you have energy in the forest
you can build a city. Let us rally around these people and give them
support by electing them,” he said.
The PDP chieftain said that
he shares the same goal with Buhari “despite the fact that we sometimes
disagree. I was the very person who described his government as a
military junta after he overthrew our government. I established a
‘talking drum’ in London criticising his government. He is a man of
impeccable character and blunt honesty. He is an outstanding man.
Nigeria needs Buhari and Bakare to move out of the woods. It is our
responsibility to ensure that they are elected during the April polls.
His choice of Bakare is a clear indication of the type of personality
Buhari is made of.”
