The founder of Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, has said President Bola Tinubu has made his best efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges, but his achievements may not be sufficient to meet the country’s needs.
The cleric added that Nigerians have the right to decide whether the president deserves another term in office.
Bakare, who contested against Tinubu and other aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in June 2022, acknowledged that some of the president’s reforms were necessary.
Speaking at Envoy Nation in Leicester on Sunday, he said: “Nigerians have the right to change their leaders. They also have the right to affirm their leaders.
“It is up to them to decide what they want. As you lay your bed, so you will lie on it. Sometimes, the devil you know is better than the angel that is not tested yet. But I leave it to every man to do what he pleases.”
However, Bakare questioned whether Tinubu’s political experience, alongside that of other politicians, had been sufficient to resolve Nigeria’s longstanding problems.
He argued that the country needed leaders capable of making the right decisions from the beginning.
When asked whether Nigeria would have fared better if he had emerged as the APC presidential candidate and won the 2023 election, Bakare said he would be careful about making such a comparison.
“I would be very careful with my words. I do not think Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is an uninitiated politician. He has been tried and tested. He is a man of experience,” he said.
“The difference that I emphasised in that campaign, especially at the Eagle Square primary of the APC is that we do not need men of experience anymore. Their experience has brought us into the disaster that we have found ourselves.
“You need geniuses who will do the first thing the first time and they will get it correct. For example, in the Bible, Joshua was fighting a battle and there was no precedent for what he said that day. He said ‘let this sun stand still and the moon stand still’. And the Bible says God answered his voice.”
Bakare also advised Tinubu to surround himself with people who would offer him honest advice.
The cleric cautioned Nigerians against dismissing every policy introduced by the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the devaluation of the naira.
He acknowledged that the president had made difficult decisions, although the results might not have satisfied Nigerians.
“So, I won’t say if I had been the president it would not be like this because you don’t even know what awaits you until you get there,” he said.
“For me, Tinubu has tried his best. His best may not be good enough for Nigeria but that does not give right to any person to just rubbish what he did like the subsidy removal, naira devaluation and other reforms. There are some things he did alright and I hope he learns. If God feels his time is up, He will bring other people to power.”
Bakare further disclosed that he participated in the political consultations that preceded the formation of the APC.
He recalled facilitating a meeting involving Tinubu, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the late Awujale of Ijebuland; Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos; and Rauf Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State.
The cleric said he subsequently withdrew from active politics to focus on building Citadel Global Community Church, although he remains a registered member of the APC.
He added that he had informed Tinubu of his willingness to contribute to national development through private consultations.