A popular Pastor and former vice presidential candidate, Tunde Bakare has said Northern Nigeria is in Retrogression despite producing Nigeria’s Leaders for 41years out of the 61years of independence.
Bakare said this while responding to questions from journalists after a closed meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the statehouse on Friday. Speaking on the debate on power rotation, Bakare said.
“if where the president comes from will make the place he has come from to be better, the Northern part of Nigeria should be richest and should be the most progressive and the most developed because out of 61 years, the north has produced either the president or heads of state for 40 to 41 years and yet, see the retrogression in the North.”
“If it’s from the South, why should a person like President Obasanjo freeze and seize the account of Lagos State in his own tenure? If it’s from South-South or Southeast why couldn’t President Jonathan use all his powers to develop South-South/Southeast?”, he quizzes.
He said, it is Nigeria’s” immaturity, politically and otherwise, that makes us say power must either be in the North or be in the South, instead of looking for the best, the fittest, the most competent, and people of character, who love this nation.”
He reiterated that where a president comes from does not matter, instead it’s what they have to offer.
He however said, ‘there are agreements between politicians among themselves on rotation, a bargain is a bargain”.
“That’s between them. But as far as this country is concerned, what we need at this stage is man who can drive us to the Eldorado”, he said.
On restructuring, Bakare said, we can do it without shooting any gun saying we need to restructure to move this nation forward. According to him, “the founding fathers of this nation; Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, alongside with their entourage, in Lancaster House and everywhere, agreed on what type of government Nigeria should have. We must not change the goalpost in the midst of the game.”
“We are better off together as a nation than going our different ways. But it must be based on equity, justice, fair play, and a rule of law.”
When asked if he could be contesting in the 2023 election, Bakare said, every Nigerian, who is of age and who is not disqualified by any means, is free saying he is a nation builder.
” If God wants me to do that, and the people of Nigeria will appreciate that, why not? I’m as free as anybody to do anything with my time. I’ve pastored a church for 33 years, now we raise new leaders. I want to focus on nation-building.”
He said, “the Office of the President is only one office, there’re so many other things we can do as people to support whoever is there to make sure that we do not go into retrogression, but begin to make steady progress as a people. I’ve already communicated clearly, my future plans to Mr President, and it stays between us.”
