Buhari Was Misjudged; Pastor Tunde Bakare Defends Late President’s Legacy
Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has described the late former President Muhammadu Buhari as a misunderstood leader who was wrongly labelled a religious extremist during his lifetime.
Speaking during a Channels Television interview on Politics Today on Monday, Bakare who ran alongside Buhari as his vice-presidential candidate in the 2011 election said personal experiences with the late president corrected his own initial assumptions.
“I thought he was a religious fundamentalist until I got close,” Bakare revealed. “But after spending time with him, I realised he was far from that.”
The clergyman recalled a moment that altered his perception. “After our campaign flag-off in Kaduna, we returned to his residence. As we stepped in, he staggered and the first words he uttered were, ‘Jesus Christ of Nazareth’. I was stunned and asked, ‘General, what is that?’ He replied, ‘You don’t have the monopoly of Jesus Christ. I’m thanking God.’”
Bakare said he later discovered that many in Buhari’s inner circle, including his personal driver and bodyguards, were Christians.
“His driver of over 10 years even asked me to pray for him, and when I told him I don’t say Islamic prayers, he said, ‘I’m a Christian, sir,’” Bakare recounted.
He praised Buhari’s open-mindedness, noting that the former military ruler never interfered with his Christian faith during their campaign. “He always allowed me to go to church on Sundays before campaign activities,” he said.
Describing Buhari as “a man of few words but decisive action,” Bakare said the late president’s leadership was marked by simplicity and a commitment to integrity.
“He fought corruption to the best of his ability,” Bakare stated. “His best may not have been enough for everyone, but no one could pin personal corruption on him.”
Bakare also praised Buhari’s respect for alternative views and said the late leader would readily accept superior arguments when presented.
