Convener, Save Nigeria Group (SNG), Pastor Tunde Bakare is the Senior Pastor of Latter Rain Assembly (LRA). In this interview with journalists in Lagos, he speaks on the state of the nation, his fears over the general elections, threatening to expose his colleagues who he said were bribed to influence previous elections, and other
issues. Senior Correspondent, TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI was there.

With few weeks to the general elections, it seems the government has not really put in place necessary structures for free and fair elections. With the way things are going, are you satisfied with what you have seen so far?

It is my very strong desire that God will give our leaders, not only hearing ears, but understanding heart to know that a good helmsman, like a good pilot, does not ignore the weather forecast, especially when they say it is going to be tempestuous and cause destruction. Going ahead regardless, is like saying ‘I don’t care’. I have clearly painted a picture of where we are and it is only wisdom that we must camp at Fair Havens according to Acts 27. We need to camp there and not sail to Crete because Euroclydon will come and hit. Disaster is ahead of us either way. Those in the North inflicting so much pain on our nation via Boko Haram do not have monopoly of violence any longer. And if you hear threats coming from both sides, if a Northerner appears and wins the election, the South South, whether he has won the election fair, square or not could allege rigging. If Jonathan wins the election fair and square, they will allege the power of incumbency
that the election has been rigged. The weather is not conducive for another election in 2015 in February for that matter. And I have quoted the right portion of the constitution that empowers both the president and the National Assembly for a six-months extension, provided it is not just to stay in power to elongate tenure, but to be working critically to ensure that these things are put in place before we go to elections. That is my considered opinion and I believe that I have the spirit of God.

You talked about having a transition government. Do you think that is feasible in modern day Nigeria?


I have spelt it loud and clear in the state of the nation address that the transition government is a national government, but still headed by President Jonathan because his time is still on. He cannot create a vacuum and he cannot say ‘I step aside’. It is not going to augur well for the nation. He has started with the 2014 National Conference. All these things that we are talking about have already been worked upon. It is a matter of fleshing it up and within a period of two years or less, they can be accomplished and the constitution is conducive to that if there is war. Those who say insurgency is not war is mere semantics. If your own daughter or son has been taken captive, none of those who are saying ‘ if we win election, we will find solution to it will stay in their beds’. They would have been looking for that solution. I do not see any patriotism in going to wreak our nation and this country is bigger than any person. None of them can hold us to ransom and say ‘We must go through this disaster at all cost’. If we have to do what we have to do to get to where we need to get to, we must do it now.

Looking at the general elections, some analysts have postulated that if President Jonathan wins, there is going to be a deadly dimension of Boko Haram in the North, if Buhari wins, the militants will resume hostilities. Don’t you think we are at a crossroads here?

We existed before this crisis and we will exist after this crisis. Nigeria will survive. If we put things in place that people see justice, fair play and the purpose of government becomes the welfare of the people and they are seeing the things that will augur well for our peaceful coexistence in a federal structure, all those things will take care of itself because if there is fiscal federalism today, I am not depending on your resources anymore. I am working on my own, while you are working on yours. In 2014, National Conference, we asked that a tangible national portion of our national resources be dedicated to the development of all the natural resources of the country. There is no part of this nation that is not endowed but we are dependent on one of those natural resources, which is mainly, oil and we have depleted everything. That is crashing already anyway with the price that is falling. So, it is about time to sit down and say ‘lets go to the table of brotherhood’. All these things that we got without any division, no voting are already raw materials to effect the necessary change. I do not like change as a slogan. I do not like change that has no substance. I will like to see that constructive change. If I say ‘I am a changed person, a born-again, but you find me still doing the things that I was doing before, then my dog has returned to its vomit. In the past, with military alacrity, I am not calling for military intervention, but we need such urgency at this time to critically deal with what we are faced with. You can’t use the cure for ringworm to cure leprosy. If every part of the country see that we are going to be free at last, we are going to develop at our own pace, we are going to do whatever we are going to do with our own resources and contribute our quota to the centre, all those things will die down. The firsts are recorded by Chief Obafemi Awolowo – first television station in Africa, first stadium in Africa, they were done from Cocoa and with a lot of prudence to manage resources. The ground has not stopped producing, but we have stopped developing each other parts of the country and other resources and have focused on oil. Now, the people who owns the oil are saying ‘we are tired of being slaves in our territory anymore, let us fight to finish’. Why fight to finish if every other region can go at its pace? True federalism will fix that. The military did a major damage to the Nigerian federalism and put everything at the centre and we are yet to recover from it. But, the National Conference has fixed that. We need to go back to that place and say this is one of those that will end up in PIB cabinet. With that, they see demonstration of goodwill, with every part of the country involved, not just one section of the country in the reengineering of our nation.

You once said the church was seriously bias during the conduct of the 2011 general elections and you promised to name some pastors that received financial inducements if you were put on the spot. Can you please name those clerics now?

In 2011, when I was selected by General Buhari as running mate, there was a gang-up against that ticket by a substantial section...

Continue here - http://www.beriahng.com/2015/01/tunde-bakare-ill-expose-pastors-who.html

I'm eager to see where this 'Tunde Bakare' stands after the February polls...

Oh Yeah,
Meanwhile Vote GMB For President!

No make me vex; Bakare.

Say it sharp sharp or I start with you. Remember, you have been dodging my challenge for a public debate since 2011.

Why have you been keeping mum Is that what the scripture commands?

You are a priest and I dont want to remind you of your duties again.

I have dealt with Mbaka and you will never hear his voice again.

I am watching silently.

"The curse has not been placed yet he dances nākēd in the village square".

I like how he points fingers everywhere but dodges himself. Accusations aplenty.