LAGOS, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, received Pastor Tunde Bakare, founder of the Citadel Global Community Church and former presidential aspirant, at his private residence in Lagos, in a meeting that underscores ongoing engagements between the presidency and prominent national voices.
The visit was made public by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who shared a photo of the meeting on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Pastor Tunde Bakare visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos on Wednesday. Photo: State House. pic.twitter.com/Hhf8h2ygPr
— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) June 4, 2025
Bakare, who contested against Tinubu in the 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries but secured no delegate votes, said his discussion with the president was rooted in his long-standing desire for a functional and prosperous Nigeria.
“My life, personal vision, is to see a nation that works in my lifetime. And those things I’ve discussed with Mr President,” Bakare told the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) following the meeting.
“They’re not hidden things, but I’ve learnt that when you discuss with the person in charge, you leave it with him to do whatsoever he wills with what you’ve suggested.”
While declining to disclose specific points discussed, Bakare expressed hope that Tinubu, with divine guidance and wisdom, would steer Nigeria away from crisis and towards renewal.
“God guiding him and giving him wisdom will help this nation not to slide or go down the drain, but to bounce back so that he can leave a mark that cannot be erased,” he added.
When asked what he hoped to see in the remainder of the administration, Bakare listed national peace, unity, and meaningful progress.
“I’d like to see Nigerians being their brothers’ keeper,” he said.
“It’s time to take concrete action to ensure that the masses of our country do not live in abject poverty.”
The visit comes weeks after Bakare delivered a pointed state-of-the-nation address in Lagos, where he urged President Tinubu to embrace counsel and “stop playing God”.
In the address, he criticised the Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the federal declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
His comments were met with rebuttals from the Senate leadership.
Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, described Bakare’s remarks as “crossing the line” and filled with “contempt and unsubstantiated claims,” though acknowledging the cleric’s historical contributions to national discourse.
The meeting between the two men, once seen on opposing ends of the APC spectrum, is viewed by observers as a potentially conciliatory gesture, as President Tinubu continues to navigate complex political and socio-economic challenges.
