Tunde Bakare, has joined the crowd of aspirants angling for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket
By Emeka Alex Duru
It did not come to keen observers as surprise that the founding Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), formerly known as The Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has joined the crowd of aspirants angling for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket for 2023 elections.
He eventually took the gamble on Thursday, May 5, swelling the ranks of those seeking the ticket. Some other aspirants include; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ex-Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, Ebonyi Governor, Dave Umahi, Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello, Cross River state Governor, Ben Ayade, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Senators Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun, as well as the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba.
Bakare did not come straight in the move. He rather danced and skirted around, massaging some egos and subtly putting down interests he considered could work against his aspiration. At a time, he seemed to be burnishing the image of former Lagos State governor and a major contender for the ticket, Bola Tinubu.
In one other tricky move, the Pastor, had early in April, tactfully portrayed the Igbo as a people to be watched as the presidential race gathers steam.
In a video that went viral, the clergy, took up a quixotic posture, selling the dummy of feeling for the people but carefully throwing them out to be watched, closely. He claimed that part of the reasons why no Igbo would be president of Nigeria is because of a curse placed on them by the late Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa on the night he was killed by mutinous soldiers on January 15, 1966.
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The Igbo he alleged, poured alcohol on Balewa and forced him to drink same before killing him – an action that prompted his curse on them. Bakare said he was lifting the curse on the Igbo nation.
He said: “Why should anyone in this country say the Igbo man cannot be president of Nigeria? Are they not Nigerians? I was at Imo and I told them the reason why the Igbo cannot rule Nigeria and I want to remove the curse today.
“Do you know what happened? The day they killed Tafawa Balewa, they removed his turban, poured wine on his head, forced him to drink, and shot him. And why he was being killed, he said, none of your tribe will ever rule Nigeria.
“God has instructed me to break the curse of Tafawa Balewa on the Igbos. I want to break the curse today because this generation of Igbo was not part of those people.
“You cannot overgeneralize. So, on the authority of God’s word. I reverse the curse of Tafawa Balewa over the Igbo generation. Henceforth, the Igbo will have access to the throne-like any other Nigerian.”
The assertions were instantly dismissed as absurd and unfounded. Bakare was born in 1954. He was thus, barely 12 years during the January 15, 1966 coup and could not have known what actually happened at the time. He equally did not disclose the source of his information, thus rendering his claim a fraud or mere attempt at intellectual masturbation.
Besides, at no time had it been established that the soldiers that killed Balewa were Igbo. Documentary evidences have also shown that the putsch was not an exercise by any particular ethnic group.
The interpretation therefore, was that the outing by the cleric, coming close to an election year when many Nigerians of good conscience are agreed that it is the time for the Igbo to have a shot at the presidency, was mischievous.
The suspicion was that what the Pastor did was to incite the entire North where Balewa hailed from and his Muslim brethren across the land against the Igbo.
Selfish interest was not ruled out in the shocking assertion by Bakare. Apart from being a clergy, he is a politician. In 2011, he was the running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari, on the platform of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). He has not hidden his ambition for the presidency, ever since.
He re-emphasised the point on Thursday while picking the N100 million APC nomination form. Bakare said; “Having been privileged to serve Nigeria in various nation building capacities, I intend to take a step further in the service of our beloved country and of you, her worthy citizens, by running for the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. He claimed that his aspiration was propelled by the desire to rebuild Nigeria into a nation that works for every Nigerian.
He had earlier in one of his Sunday sermons, claimed that he had divine anointment for the office. He said; “I will succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria, nothing can change it. I am number 16, Buhari is number 15. I am saying it now and nothing can change it. In the name of Jesus, he (Buhari) is number 15. I am number 16. To this end was I born and for this purpose came I into the world. I have prepared you for this for more than 30 years”. He perhaps, needed to shove the Igbo aside to get to the office.
But has the time come for Pastor Tunde Bakare to fulfill his touted divine assignment or accomplish his obvious political ambition? Time, and only time, will tell.