Isaac Samuel
Pastor Tunde Bakare’s unexpected visit to President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, June 4, has stirred a wave of reactions from Nigerians, as many recall the fiery criticisms the cleric once levelled against the President.
The meeting reportedly centred on pressing national issues and the current state of the nation.
Following the visit, Pastor Bakare spoke briefly, stating, “What transpired in my discussion with him (Tinubu) stayed with me and him. God guiding him and giving him wisdom, will help this nation not slide or go down the drain.”
Addressing worshippers during his Easter State-of-the-Nation broadcast in Ikeja, the former APC presidential aspirant said the country is being driven toward the brink amid a fresh wave of killings in Plateau, Benue and Enugu.
He argued that Nigeria demands Joseph-type visionaries, not “motor‑park politics.”
Bakare said, “Fellow citizens, at the centre of this political banditry, is the motor park brand of politics nurtured by the old brigade politicians and, in recent times, by President Bola Tinubu.
“Those responsible for steering the course of our nation lack the humility and character this moment demands…What we have seen since the beginning of the year is a descent into tyranny and the brazen abuse of power.”
Bakare, who ran against Tinubu for the APC ticket in 2022, said the economic pain unleashed by fuel‑subsidy removal, naira devaluation and runaway inflation is pushing citizens to the brink.
Policy and Politics reports that the sharp contrast between his earlier public denunciations and the recent show of cordiality has divided public opinion:.
Nigerians who reacted to Social media expressed surprise about the development.
For instance, an X user Tochukwu Osuagwu criticised Bakare’s perceived shift in stance, lamenting, “Praise the Lord, for He is good. The activist is no more. Fully converted, utterly emasculated. Protest? Not in his plans. Our hunger & suffering mean nothing now.”
Meanwhile, Kenny accused the pastor of inconsistency: “This man preaches with the confidence of a prophet, yet his words are like smoke shifting. Depending on the crowd, he’s either a prophet or a politician.”
Beyioku Oluwajuwon downplayed the change, tweeting, “We are all friends in politics, and we all know.”
Another user, whose name reads Heeskey said “We have to give it to the Jagaban. He steam rolled everybody and there is nothing anyone can do about it. He is the god of modern Nigerian politics.”
