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| Pastor Tunde Bakare |
The Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Pastor Tunde Bakare yesterday canvassed for electronic voting in future polls in the country, while also not ruling out the possibility of running for President come 2023, “if it is the desire of God with the support of Nigerians.”
He also declared that the controversy over rotational presidency was being fueled by political immaturity, saying the debate ought to have centred on the capacity and character of whoever would be allowed to lead the country.
Bakare, who spoke after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, was asked if he would be running for the office of the President in 2023, and he said: “Every Nigerian, who is of age and who is not disqualified by any means, is free.
“I’m a nation builder, if God wants me to do that, and the people of Nigeria will appreciate that, why not? I’m as free as anybody to do anything with my time. I’ve pastored a church for 33 years, now we raise new leaders. I want to focus on nation building.
“The Office of the President is only one office, there’re so many other things we can do as people to support whoever is there to make sure that we do not go into retrogression, but begin to make steady progress as a people. I’ve already communicated clearly, my future plans to Mr. President, and it stays between us.”
On rotational presidency, Bakare said: “It’s our immaturity, politically and otherwise, that makes us say power must either be in the North or be in the South, instead of looking for the best, the fittest, the most competent, and people of character, who love this nation.
“Listen to me, if where the president comes from will make the place he comes from to be better, the Northern part of Nigeria should be richest and should be the most progressive and the most developed because out of 61 years, the north has produced either the president or heads of state for 40 to 41 years and yet, see the retrogression in the North.
“If it’s from the South, why should a person like President Obasanjo freeze and seize the account of Lagos State in his own tenure? If it’s from South-South or South-east, why couldn’t President Jonathan use all his powers to develop South-South/South-east?
“Not where they come from, it’s what they carry and what they have to offer. May the best of the best of Nigerians rise, regardless of whether they’re from the east, or from the west, or from the north, or from the south.
“If there are agreements among politicians on rotation, a bargain is a bargain. That’s between them. But as far as this country is concerned, what we need at this stage is a man who can drive us to the Eldorado.”