Pastor Tunde Bakare calls on President Bola Tinubu to unite Nigeria’s northern and southern elites to address insecurity and economic hardship, following a closed-door meeting in Ikoyi
Former presidential aspirant and Presiding Overseer of the Global Community Citadel Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has urged President Bola Tinubu to forge strategic unity between Nigeria’s northern and southern elites to confront the country’s worsening security and economic crises.
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Bakare made the call on Wednesday following a closed-door meeting with Tinubu at the President’s Ikoyi residence in Lagos.
Addressing journalists afterward, the cleric emphasised that only a united elite front could rescue Nigeria from its current socio-political decline.
“We have danced around these issues long enough,” Bakare stated. “It’s time to take concrete action…
I’d like to see good collaboration between the best of the North and the best of the South to steer Nigeria in the right direction.”
The appeal comes at a tense moment in Nigerian politics, as tensions between northern and southern leaders deepen, particularly over issues such as pastoral land management, police decentralisation, and allegations of lopsided federal appointments.
In recent months, northern governors and lawmakers have openly challenged some of Tinubu’s core policy initiatives.
The Northern Elders Forum has accused the administration of crafting policies—like fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation—without adequate northern consultation, threatening political withdrawal if conditions deteriorate.
Bakare himself has been a vocal critic of the administration. In his Easter address, he condemned what he described as a “motor-park brand of politics” perpetuated by the political elite, including President Tinubu, warning that the country risked a popular uprising if urgent reforms were not undertaken.
Despite his prior criticisms, Bakare adopted a conciliatory tone after Wednesday’s meeting. He described his interaction with Tinubu as cordial and private, noting that the President received his suggestions “with an open mind.”
“It’s not just about reservations. It’s about how the country will go well. My life and personal vision is to see a nation that works in my lifetime,” he said.
“Those things I’ve discussed with Mr President… I’ve learned that when you discuss with the person in charge, you leave it to him to do whatever he wills with what you suggest.”
Bakare expressed hope that, with divine guidance, Nigeria could still bounce back from the brink.
“God, guiding him and giving him wisdom, will help this nation not to slide or go down the drain, but to bounce back, so that he can leave a mark that cannot be erased,” he concluded.
As the nation waits to see how Tinubu responds, Bakare’s message underscores a growing call for national unity and elite cooperation as the bedrock for lasting reform.