Bakare recalled announcing that he was not stepping down for Tinubu, at APC convention, wondering how the former Lagos governor has suddenly become his candidate
By Emma Ogbuehi
General Overseer (GO) of Citadel Global Community Church formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has put a lie to claims in some quarters that he is backing the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for 2023 elections, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Bakare who made the declaration in a statement debunking insinuations that he was working at cross purposes with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket by Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, which CAN has strongly oppose, recalled that he announced publicly at the APC Presidential Convention that he was not stepping down for Tinubu, wondering how the former Lagos state governor, has suddenly become his candidate.
He dismissed the allegations of criticizing CAN and endorsing Tinubu as absolute lies by spurious writers.
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The statement reads:
The statements credited to me are outright lies
“My attention has been drawn to the viral but concocted and ridiculous statements credited to me, by some unscrupulous writers and bloggers. Amongst other things, I was quoted to have said that the agitations by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), were ploys by the opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to force a weak candidate on APC.
“In addition to this, I was alleged to have said that CAN wanted to lure APC into presenting a weak candidate. The spurious writers also alleged that I stressed that Christians are righteous people who behave like Christ, and that CAN are politicians who behave like PDP.
“As if the poorly strewn lies were not enough, I was quoted as saying that Tinubu is my candidate. Isn’t this the same Tinubu that I announced to all and sundry at the APC Presidential Convention that I was not stepping down for? He has suddenly become my candidate!
“I wish to state unequivocally that the statements are absolute lies. There was nowhere I granted anyone any interview, or preached on any platform, where I said the ludicrous statements. I challenge anyone who is in possession of the video or audio file of the statements to please put it in the public space.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I am a nation builder who will not in any way create real or imaginary division among the people of our great country, through the medium of political parties or religion.
“I therefore use this medium to ask everyone to disregard the alleged statements. The statements are not mine, and do not in any way represent my position. This is part of the lying propaganda of the mischievous ones seeking approval by deceit and at all costs. If the peddlers of this deliberate falsehood don’t desist from their highly condemnable acts, they will definitely have their day in court. Enough is enough“.