2023: North produced President, head of State for 41 out of 61 years of independence, yet poorest – Pastor Bakare

The vocal Pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC) Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare said, agitation for power shift was unnecessary as what the country need is a President who can competently drive the nation to Eldorado.

The Clergy who’s Church formerly was Latter Rain Assembly stated this on Friday, while speaking with the State House correspondents at the Presidential villa, Abuja.

Bakare visited President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday and he said, he has told Mr. President what’s in his mind, describing agitation for rotational presidency as political immaturity.

According to him, the various zones that produced president in the past weren’t better, but poorer and underdeveloped after many years of independence.

Pastor Bakare’s position was a response to a question on his views on the ongoing debate on power rotation.

He maintained: “I’d said it on the 3rd of October. It’s our immaturity, politically and otherwise, that makes us say power must either be in the North or be in the South, instead of looking for the best, the fittest, the most competent, and people of character who love this nation.

“Listen to me, if where the president comes from will make the place he has come from to be better, the Northern part of Nigeria should be richest and should be the most progressive and the most developed because out of 61 years, the North has produced either the president or heads of state for 40 to 41 years and yet, see the retrogression in the North.

He recalled how President Olusegun Obasanjo from the Southwest froze Local Government accounts of Lagos State during his tenure and former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan from the Southsouth not using all his powers to develop South-South/South East.

Bakare prayed for the best of Nigerians to rise, stressing that, it wasn’t about where they come from, but what they have to offer in terms of capacity and strength of character.

“If there are agreements between politicians among themselves on rotation, a bargain is a bargain. That’s between them. But as far as this country is concerned, what we need at this stage is a man who can drive us to the Eldorado.”

He expressed his readiness to contest presidency, if God and the people would appreciate.

“Every Nigerian, who is of age and who is not disqualified by any means, is free. I’m a nation builder, if God wants me to do that, and the people of Nigeria will appreciate that, why not? I’m as free as anybody to do anything with my time. I’ve pastored a church for 33 years, now we raise new leaders. I want to focus on nation building.

He noted that the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is one and citizens could support the President on so many fronts in order for him to succeed and make the nation progress, adding that he has discussed his future plans with q Mr. President, which he said was between two of them.

Speaking on the passage of electronic transmission of results by the National Assembly, Bakare described the development as best things that have happened, adding that it would have been better, if Nigerians in the Diaspora and over 22.3 million students studying abroad were allowed to vote during the next elections.

On restructuring, he bared his mind, that it was possible without crisis, stressing that the founding fathers have already agreed on the type of government and that the goal post must not be changed in the middle of the game.

Bakare noted: “We need to do it, to move this nation forward. The founding fathers of this nation; Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, alongside with their entourage, in Lancaster House and everywhere, agreed on what type of government Nigeria should have. We must not change the goal post in the midst of the game.

“We are better off together as a nation than going our different ways. But it must be based on equity, justice, fair play and a rule of law.”