Pastor Tunde Bakare, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church in Lagos, has told Vice-President Prof Yemi Osinbajo to leave, if he is not allowed to carry out his function.
Bakare, speaking to media mogul Dele Momodu in an Instagram Live chat on Tuesday, however insisted he did not believe reports that Osinbajo was being handicapped in office.
He called on the vice-president to come out publicly and clear the air.
Bakare said, “I don’t know if that statement is true that he is not allowed to perform. The constitution is very clear on the vice-president’s role, especially as it relates to steering the economy of the nation.
“Before I accepted General Muhammadu Buhari’s offer, I said what would be my role because I will not be a spare tyre. He assured me that my role will be as prescribed by the constitution and as many other things as you can be given to do.
“I want to hear it from the vice-president himself that he’s not allowed to perform. I don’t like rumour and I don’t like gossip.”
Meanwhile, Bakare had said that President Muhammadu Buhari has disappointed Nigerians.
The cleric stated this while speaking with Dele Momodu in a virtual interview on Instagram, held on Tuesday.
He said the drum of disintegration “is louder than before”, and called for efforts to preserve the country’s unity.
“Nigeria will survive and will become the Nigeria of our dreams but right now, things are not together, especially with the drum of disintegration which is louder than before,” he said.
“Nigeria is better together. If we go back together to the basics of how we came together, looking at 1960 and 1963, we can still be together.
“The truth of the matter is it is still the same Buhari. In the midst of many competing interests, we respond differently. As far as I know, the president is still himself. Some have even asked me if he is not somebody else. And I said, if that were so, the whole world would know.
“Power changes people. Has power changed him or is he making the best of the situation or the circumstances he has found himself in? He will be the one to answer that question. As far as I know, the expectations of Nigerians, including the gentleman interviewing me, and everyone who rose up at that time to say we need a breath of fresh air by bringing in President Buhari, I think whatever it is, the expectations have not been met and, therefore, there is a gut feeling of disappointment everywhere.
“We are the government. The citizens have the right to demand good governance and nothing can stop that.
“People deserve the government they get, and the government deserves the kind of people that support them, or say ‘no, we can’t take this anymore.’”