Tunde Bakare’s Journey From Pulpit to Politics Faces Fresh Scrutiny

Pastor Tunde Bakare once drew wide attention for bold sermons that blended biblical references with commentary on Nigeria’s political life. In a reflective article, journalist Emmanuel Aziken recalls Bakare’s television broadcasts and his reputation as a preacher willing to challenge both religious leaders and those in power. That public image, the article argues, came under greater scrutiny after Bakare entered partisan politics. His association with Muhammadu Buhari during the 2011 election cycle was described as a major political step, though the alliance did not lead to the electoral result its supporters had hoped for. The writer also questions Bakare’s response to the killings of National Youth Service Corps members after that election, saying it may have disappointed people who viewed him as a prominent moral voice. Bakare later made a striking prediction ahead of the 2023 presidential election, saying he would become Nigeria’s 16th president. According to the article, his declaration was taken seriously by some because of his standing as a pastor and the certainty with which he expressed it. At the APC presidential primary in June 2022, however, Bakare received no votes, a result the writer calls instructive. The piece says Bakare has been less visible in the kind of forceful public interventions that once defined his ministry since Bola Ahmed Tinubu became president. It then refers to recent reports about Bakare’s role in, or apparent involvement with, a matter described as “sanct…” in the supplied excerpt. The text ends mid-sentence, so it does not provide enough detail to establish what those reports concern. Overall, Aziken’s article weighs Bakare’s reputation as a preacher against his political choices and ambitions. It presents the contrast as a source of questions for those who once looked to him as a fearless voice in public life.