Tunde Bakare, overseer of the Citadel Global Community
Church, formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly, says President Muhammadu Buhari
never listened to his ideas on how to move Nigeria forward.
Bakare was Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential
election — the duo contested on the platform of the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC).
Speaking with BBC Yoruba, Bakare said Nigerian leaders are
corrupt and have steered the country to its current state.
He said many people voted for Buhari because they thought that,
as a former military leader, he would understand the nation’s complexities and
would be able to lead the country on the right path.
“Things have turned
upside down. They say the elders are the ones disrupting the nation, but it
started with the youths. The coup plotters in the military — there are people
that were 20 years old, 30 years old — they are the ones that brought us to
where we are. They brought us here before they grew old in the job and refused
to leave,” Bakare said.
“If a military takes over a country, they won’t leave until
things become bad. They will plunder every conceivable object is gone. However,
there are still good ones among the bad eggs.
“Our leaders are corrupt. Let’s assume the military
destroyed the government, what happened to our civilian government? Although
many of them moved from the military, we still don’t know if we are in a
military or civilian era. Nigeria will continue to deteriorate unless we turn
around and make amends and ask those stronger than us to help us
“I was in my house
when I started the Save Nigeria Group. It was to help the country. I never knew
Jonathan or Yar’Adua. God only showed me a vision and I started moving around,
saying ‘do not let Nigeria go bad’. Professor Wole Soyinka, Akinrinade,
renowned people of Yoruba extraction joined us.
“That was where Buhari first saw me and decided he could
bring me close. We too, we wanted to know his intentions for Nigeria. That was
how we met in Kaduna. I had in mind to help Nigeria but when Awolowo could not
become the president, as a good person, I washed my hands off.
“People thought someone who had once served as a military
head of state, that once he becomes president, Nigeria will be better and
progressive but instead of things to get better, everything has worsened.
“But God is not asleep. Some of my friends accuse me of
bringing Buhari to power. I explained to them that he is someone I used to see
and discuss the way forward with, that he would listen but once you leave,
nothing comes out of the discussion. Then I decided to stay back.”
Bakare, however, said he has not lost hope and he keeps
praying that there will be a turnaround for the country.
On the campaign for Oodua Republic, Bakare said such agitations
are a result of the state of affairs in the country.
“I have never seen Sunday Igboho. This is the time he is
supposed to come see me but he is unable to come. But he has met with some
prominent Nigerians,” he said.
“If things were okay; people could feed themselves, have
good jobs, no kidnapping… before, nobody was asking for what Sunday Igboho is
agitating for presently. But I know that when the time is right, people will
say Yoruba leaders alerted them because now the elders have not told them to
ask for Oodua Republic.
“We should find a way
of making Nigeria progress. We can’t leave our country for another. We have to
take a stand and make Nigeria work. When separatist groups see that things are
getting better in the nation, they will drop their grievances.”
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