Senior Pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare has stated that the result of the 2023 elections showed that Nigerians are fed up with what the ruling political party, All Progressives Congress (APC) had become.
Bakare said this on Sunday during a State of the Nation broadcast themed, ‘Vice, Virtue & Time: Three Things That Never Stand Still’, at the church at Ikeja, Lagos.
The cleric explained that the APC would have convincingly lost the 2023 elections if it were not for the divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party and the emergence of the OBIdient movement of the Labour Party that split the traditional support base of the PDP.
While sounding a warning to the APC amidst describing himself as a stakeholder and nation builder, Bakare said this is not the APC they envisaged.
He added that the party’s victory as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission is being challenged in court.
According to him, the APC stood for progressivism characterised by substantial positive investment in social sectors such as education and healthcare and it achieved inclusiveness and social mobility.
He, however, noted this has changed over time given the current economic hardship being faced by many Nigerians which he said was a result of anti-people policies of the government.
“The results of the last elections were clear indications that Nigerians are fed up with what the APC had become.
“If it were not for the divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party and the emergence of the OBIdient movement of the Labour Party that split the traditional support base of the PDP, the APC would have convincingly lost the 2023 elections.
“At this juncture, I must also sound a warning to the APC. I was there when the APC was formed and the extent of my involvement is well documented. As a stakeholder and more importantly as a nation builder, I’m more obligated to state without equivocation that this is not the APC we envisaged.
“Even now, the party’s victory as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission is being challenged in court,” Bakare stated.
“The APC stood for progressivism characterised by substantial positive investment in social sectors such as education and healthcare and it achieved inclusiveness and social mobility.
“This has changed over time given the current economic hardship being faced by many Nigerians which is a result of anti-people policies of the government,” he added.
On subsidy removal, the religious leader accused President Tinubu of being economical with the truth by giving Nigerians the impression that he was taking a courageous move or step to remove the fuel subsidy when the previous government had already taken that step.
Setting the records straight, Pastor Bakare revealed that subsidy payments had already been tendered by the Buhari’s administration and no subsidy was paid in 2023 even though there was provision for it on papers up till June 2023.
The Cleric, who premised on chain management principles, noted that the President should have handled more circumspectly the announcement of such an issue that bothers the livelihood of the Nigerian citizens.
He said that would have spared Nigerians the reactionary scarcity, and price hikes that immediately followed his announcement.
Pastor Tunde, therefore, advised the President to use his courage to lessen the burden of the citizens and not to oppress them, adding that he should use his courage to unite the nation and not to further divide the country.
“Whatever the President’s true motivations were, it is very clear that he puts the cart before the horse. What is also clear was that the President was economical with the truth by giving Nigerians the impression that he was taking a courageous move or step to remove the fuel subsidy when the previous government had already taken that step.
“As Nigerians, we need to learn that subsidy payments had already been tendered by the Buhari’s administration and no subsidy was paid in 2023 even though there was provision for it on papers up till June 2023.
“In line with the chain management principles, the President should have handled more circumspectly the announcement of such an issue that bothers on the livelihood of the Nigerian citizens.
“That would have spared Nigerians the reactionary scarcity, and price hikes that immediately followed his announcement. Furthermore, what is even clearer is that the president had been handed the month of grace by the previous administration, a month that should have been used to put in place cushioning effect before the official expiration of the subsidized economy.
“It is noteworthy that it is addressed to the nation on July 31, 2023, President Tinubu admitted that the past administration had indeed taken action on the removal of subsidy as there was no budgetary allocation for it from the end of June.
“It is also noteworthy that he admitted that there was a gap between the removal of the subsidy and rollout of palliatives.
“While I commend the President for coming clean on this issue, it is important for Mr. President next time to consider the intended and unintended consequences before committing to a course or action.
“Mr President use your courage to lessen the burden of our citizens and not to oppress them. Use your courage to unite the nation and not to further divide us. Use your courage to address historical grievances,” he said.
While touching on ECOWAS’s resolution to Niger’s crisis, The Cleric condemned the proposed military intervention in Niger Republic by ECOWAS and therefore called for deep introspection on the part of African leaders.
The Senior Pastor said it is counter-productive to engage in warfare.
Pastor Bakare noted that the local support for Nigeria by Nigeriens is at an all-time low.
“While we condemn coup d’etat in West Africa, we recognize that the situation calls for deep, introspection on the part of African leaders.
“It is, therefore, counter-productive to engage in warfare.
“Local support for Nigeria by Nigeriens is at an all-time low,” he said.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
