By Olufemi Adeniyi
At a time the whole world and by extension, Nigeria is focused on how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, Pastor Tunde Bakare’s focus is on 2023 presidency.
Preaching his sermon on Sunday, 22 March, as reported by the PUNCH, Pastor Tunde Bakare again veered off his subject matter into political talks.
Since he publicly said that God told him that he was going to be the next Nigeria’s president in 2023, Bakare always laced his sermons with political jabs. Last Sunday’s was not an exception.
In what seems to be his obsession with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who he has been indirectly trying to upstage, Bakare, last Sunday, made allusions to a supposed rift between President Buhari and his V.P.
He asked the president to speak up: “It is my considered opinion that all the rumour mills and things going around the Vice-President in this nation, the government must address this country and tell the plain truth about what is going on, instead of letting people continue to make guesses that are unprofitable for our nation or anybody ”
He also went on to question Osinbajo’s role in the formation of the APC.
Hear him:” I am not sure Osinbajo was a party man. I am not sure he was there when the APC was being formed. I moved the motion for the merger of the CPC and the ACN at the Eagle Square. He was nowhere around there that day. In fact, l can tell you that he went to the Supreme Court to argue a case on that day when they were looking for him”, he was quoted by the PUNCH.
To many discernable observers, the question that readily comes to mind is – “So, in spite of the near state of emergency in the country over the coronavirus pandemic, Pastor Bakare’s focus is on Osinbajo?”
It appears his obsession to become the president after Buhari has taken the better part of him. From his calculations, he wants Osinbajo out of the way, so that he can be the V.P and therefore, stand a good chance of becoming the president in 2023.
It is ironic that a pastor who claimed that God told him he would be the 16th president after President Buhari, can be this desperate and manipulative.
How can a so-called man of God harbour so much envy against his brother, a fellow pastor, yet, he would use the scriptures and the name of God to manipulate and bamboozle his followers?
Even his lie that Osinbajo was not part of the formation of APC cannot fly as Osinbajo was not only fully involved but was also part of those who drafted the manifesto of the party. So, how can a non-party member like Bakare speak authoritatively about the formation of a political party, apart from him moving the motion on behalf of the CPC for a merger with ACN?
Here was a man who said then that he couldn’t join the APC because he couldn’t be in the same party with Tinubu who he has repeatedly accused of being “corrupt”. Meanwhile, it is the same party where Tinubu is the National leader that he wants to use as a ladder for his phantom presidency.
It is really a shame that at this critical time of coronavirus pandemic when all hands should be on deck, that Pastor Bakare should be firing political shots due to his obsession with 2023 presidency.
There was a major explosion in Lagos a week ago which claimed several lives and rendered many homeless, we didn’t hear his voice. coronavirus stealthily entered our shores, we didn’t hear his voice but only his shots at the Vice-President, with the intent of upstaging him. That is unchristian-like.
Olufemi Adeniyi is a public affairs commentator
