Tunde Bakare, senior pastor of Citadel Global Community Church and an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, has expressed his reservations about Bola Tinubu, whom he refuses to acknowledge as his president due to concerns about alleged corruption. Speaking at a Zoom program organized by his support group, PTB4Nigeria in Diaspora, Bakare disclosed his thoughts on Tinubu's upcoming presidency.
During the program, Bakare shared his recent meeting with President Buhari at the Glass House, where the president is temporarily residing while his main residence undergoes renovations. Bakare emphasized his admiration for Buhari's integrity and incorruptibility, but expressed misgivings about passing the baton of power to someone he believes lacks those qualities.
"While I will address Asiwaju Tinubu as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in any public lecture, I cannot personally call him my president," Bakare stated, referring to Tinubu by his honorary title. It is worth noting that Bakare had contested against Tinubu in the All Progressives Congress primary and was defeated.
Tinubu's victory in the February 25th presidential election, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1, has sparked controversy with opposition parties challenging the results before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos, has faced various scandals throughout his political career, including allegations of involvement in cocaine trafficking in the 90s, leading to the forfeiture of funds to the U.S. government. More recently, independent journalist David Hundeyin uncovered an issue involving Tinubu's Guinean diplomatic passport.