By JKNewsMedia
THE SERVING Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Pastor Tunde Bakare has met with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on Wednesday.
This is coming weeks after publicly accusing the Nigerian leader of driving the country in the wrong direction.
The meeting, held behind closed doors, was disclosed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X.
Also, Pastor Bakare came amid national debate surrounding his recent criticism of Tinubu’s style of governance, which he recently described as a threat to democracy.
The man of God, who contested the APC presidential ticket in 2023, stated that the discussion with Tinubu centred on national development and the future of Nigeria.
While declining to disclose full details of the exchange, he emphasised that he conveyed his vision for a functional and forward-looking nation directly to the President.
“It’s not about just reservations. It’s about how the country will go well,” he said after the meeting. “My personal vision is to see a nation that works in my lifetime… I’ve had a private conversation with Mr President and I’m glad that he received me well.”
The encounter followed Bakare’s strident remarks in April, in which he accused the President of enabling a dangerous concentration of power.
At a time, he had condemned the diminishing checks and balances between the executive and legislature, stating that the National Assembly had become a “haven for legislative rascality” under Tinubu’s influence.
“To the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria… I say: Mr. President, Nigeria is too delicate for this kind of politics,” Bakare had warned in April. “Please, stop playing God.”
He had also suggested that Tinubu’s widely known “emi lo kan” mantra — meaning “it’s my turn” had devolved into what he called state capture, describing it as counterproductive and anti-climactic.
The meeting is reportedly coming after Bakare criticised President Tinubu, saying, “It is through your influence that the Nigerian National Assembly has become a haven for legislative rascality,” and urging him to “stop playing God.”
