The founder of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has disclosed that there was no formal written agreement between him and the late former President Muhammadu Buhari regarding a transfer of power.
Bakare shares a political history with Buhari, having served as his running mate in the 2011 presidential election under the Congress for Progressive Change, which they lost.
Buhari later became Nigeria’s president, serving from 2015 to 2023, after an earlier tenure as military head of state from 1983 to 1985.
Despite their political history, Bakare had publicly hinted at succeeding Buhari.
In 2019, he suggested he would be Nigeria’s 16th president, following Buhari whom he referred to as the 15th.
At the time, the preacher and lawyer also mentioned he was cultivating a global political network for his future aspirations.
Bakare’s political ambitions weren’t new; he had stated in January 2018 that he wasn’t done with politics. However, his bid for the presidency in 2022 was unsuccessful as he lost the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Monday, Bakare said Buhari offered every presidential contestant in the APC a fair opportunity to run for the party’s ticket.
He said, “There was no written pact between us. He is late. I will never say anything unfair about him.
“He did his best. One night before the primary, he invited all the presidential aspirants. We sat with him in the conference hall of the villa.
“He said, ‘I have allowed the governors to choose who will succeed them or to go for a second term if they are going for a second term. I am asking you today to allow me to also freely choose the person I desire to succeed me.’”
Bakare said the move was accepted by other aspirants present at the meeting, including Yemi Osinbajo, former vice-president; Mohammed Badaru, governor of Jigawa; and Ogbonnaya Onu, former minister of science and technology.
In a London clinic, Buhari passed away on Sunday at the age of 82.
His death has continued to attract tributes from across the country and worldwide.
