Founder of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, says President Bola Tinubu has made efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges, but questions whether his administration’s performance has been sufficient to meet the country’s expectations.
Bakare said the decision on whether Tinubu should secure another four-year term rests with Nigerians, who have the constitutional right to either retain their leaders or vote them out.
The cleric spoke on Sunday at an event organised by Envoy Nation in Leicester, United Kingdom.
He urged voters to carefully assess the choices before them, noting that they could either affirm the current administration or opt for a different leadership direction.
Bakare, who contested against Tinubu and other aspirants during the All Progressives Congress presidential primary in 2022, acknowledged that the President was an experienced politician who had been tested in public office.
However, he argued that Nigeria’s persistent problems required more than political experience, insisting that the country needed exceptional leaders capable of making sound decisions and delivering results from the outset.
Reflecting on his own presidential ambition, Bakare declined to claim that Nigeria would have been better under his leadership had he won the APC ticket and the 2023 election.
He maintained that the challenges of governing a country could not be fully understood until one occupied the position of president.
The pastor also defended some of the major economic decisions taken by the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the devaluation of the naira.
According to him, although the policies may not have produced the desired outcomes for many Nigerians, it would be unfair to dismiss the entire reform agenda without acknowledging the necessity of some of the decisions.
“Tinubu has tried his best. His best may not be good enough for Nigeria,” Bakare said, while expressing hope that the President would learn from the shortcomings of his administration.
He also urged Tinubu to surround himself with advisers who would be courageous enough to tell him the truth, rather than those who merely endorse his decisions.
Bakare added that the emergence of a new leader would depend on the will of God, saying Nigerians should allow the democratic process to determine the country’s political future.
The cleric further recalled his involvement in consultations that contributed to the formation of the APC, disclosing that he facilitated a meeting involving Tinubu, the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu; and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
He said he later withdrew from active politics to concentrate on building Citadel Global Community Church but remains a registered member of the APC.
Bakare added that he had made himself available to Tinubu for private consultations on issues relating to national development.