TUNDE Bakare, Senior Pastor of The Citadel Global Community Church has formally announced his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election.
He disclosed this at the ‘Unveiling Project 16 to Nigerians in Diaspora’, an event tagged “The portrait is a new Nigeria”, which was held virtually.
Noting that previous administrations were “cake eaters”, Bakare said it was time to have the 16th administration of “cake bakers”, referring to a Biblical passage that the new Nigeria is a mission of the 16th administration.
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“A mission of a new Nigeria and honest aspiration to serve as a 16th President of my beloved nation, Nigeria,” he said.
“I understand that part of God’s purpose for Nigeria is the actualisation of the idea that Muslims and Christians, the north and the south, can come together as one great nation.
“As a young boy, I had a vision of Nigeria. I grew up in my father’s house in Abeokuta, a storey building with 16 steps which today is the first family heritage museum in Abeokuta.”
The cleric who said he had once hawked to support his mother said his poor family background pushed him to “develop the required capacity to lead Nigeria”.
The Ogun State indigene was President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in 2011. They lost to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Goodluck Jonathan.
Bakare’s declaration is coming hours after Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi declared his intention to join the presidential race.
The cleric’s declaration pitches him against APC bigwigs including former Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu; former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu; former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, and Governors Yahaya Bello and Dave Umahi of Kogi and Ebonyi states, respectively.
Bakare promised that if he is elected as president, Nigerians would have access to good quality healthcare.
He added that be would turn Nigeria into a place*where no youth is unemployed and our young men and women are job creators, where businesses thrive and any Nigerian can compete anywhere in the global market”.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.