Pastor Tunde Bakare In His Own Words About Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu While Addressing His Church Congregation
“At this juncture, I have a word for some Yoruba people whose stock in trade is nothing but a rancorous noise, characterized by bitterness and resentment about the ancestry of the former two-term governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
“Hello o.”
“Carry your stone.”
“Shall I repeat myself?”
“I said I have a word for those Yoruba rancorous elements, noisemakers who had not achieved as much as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had achieved but they’re always worrying and querying themselves about his ancestry.”
“His traducers are quick to tell you he’s from Iragbiji…..Oh, he’s from Iragbiji in Osun State. He’s not from Lagos State as if that will resolve the issues that we face today.”
“Please hear me loud and clear. Knowing the name of Asiwaju’s biological mother or father, or his place of birth cannot put food on the table of the hungry or create jobs for the unemployed and the unemployable.”
“Despite his growing up challenges and the detours of his life, he, like Jethro in the Bible delivered Lagos State and nearly all the southwest states from the onslaught of PDP from 1999 to 2007. And truth be told, without his cooperation and political dexterity, the APC victory at the polls in 2015 and 2019 would not have been impossible.”
“People please know that I’m not Asiwaju’s brand manager and definitely do not endorse everything you might have read about his present, or his past or his lifestyle, his politics or his businesses. His postmen can do that for him.”
“All I know is that just as every saint has a past, every sinner has a future. And the best of men are still men at the very best.”
“Frankly speaking, I’m not very sure that many of his traducers would have survived if they had gone through the vissiccitudes of life that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu went through. Therefore, those who are envious of him and those who desire to take his past flaws should stop their useless talks about him and busy themselves with what can add value to society.”
“Furthermore, no right thinking person would describe himself as a self-made man. In the words of George Mathew Adams, there’s no such thing as a self-made man. We’re made of thousands of others; everyone who has ever done a kind deed to us or spoken a word of encouragement to us has entered the makeup of our character and of our thoughts as well as our success.”
“I think this was the basis of the relationship between the late Iyaloja Abibat Mogaji and his adopted son Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Therefore, the latter calling the former his mother is not only proper; it is also honourable.”
“It is those demonizing their mother and sour relationship that should find something profitable to do with their time.”
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did not, and could not choose his biological parent. Yet, no one can forbid him from choosing his role models or stop him from changing his name. To his credit…he has fought many battles on behalf of the Yoruba people and won despite his rough beginning.”
“And God does not need anybody’s permission to put salt on His Hall of Faith despite their past deeds and their ancestry. In the words of Roman philosopher Seneca, he said; It is the rough road that leads to the height of greatness.”
“I hope my admonition is well received. Let me tell you why you must receive it because I want to round up.”
“I was at home when messages were sent to my phone by WhatsApp. Elder statesmen who are strange bedfellows suddenly came together and said; in order to deliver Yoruba people we must come together. These are strange bedfellows.”
“And their representative came to my home and said; Pastor (they put my name there. They didn’t consult me before they put my name. They put other eminent Yoruba people there also. Men of the cloth and those who are naked), saying, we’re going to have a conference sometimes in January so that the Yoruba people and the people of the south can take a position against the onslaught of the enemy or their perceived enemy.”
“So, I asked the man who came to my house the first question. I said, who are you planning to kill? He said no, no, no, we’re not planning to kill anybody. We just want to do what is right so that Yoruba people can be free. I said that’s fine.”
“But this person and this person are sworn enemies. How did they become friends? He said for a common cause. I said no because when Pilate and Herod agreed it was because they wanted to kill Jesus. Who do you want to kill? I reasoned straight from scripture.”
“Then I told him what he was not ready to listen to. I told him, have you gone to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his buy-in? He said yes, we have reached him and he said he agreed totally and he’s going to play ball with them. But there are some things to be agreed upon later.”
“And a week later, Asiwaju’s group also picked the same date in the same Ibadan city for their own summit, summoning all the governors of the southwest and all the Obas were there. Who will follow the others? Nobody.”
“Do you understand me? Look, I’m telling you the truth, accept your humble pie. Eat it!”
“When you were sleeping, Asiwaju Bola was working day and night. He secured Lagos, secured Ogun. He secured Oyo, secured Osun, secured Ekiti, secured Ondo, secured Edo.”
“And you said he’s a nobody.”
“Ode.”
“And you think he will now say come and take. No. He’s not a fool. He’s not an idiot. Stop saying all this nonsense. Stop all this nonsense about ancestry. You will kill your heels and those who can deliver you, you would put them aside and nothing would happen.”
“All these shakabula leaders. All they have is shakabula. They don’t have machine guns. You know what shakabula is? Dane guns. He that has ears to hear, let him hear. I’m not a friend of anybody. Ojo o b’enikan s’ore, eni eji ri l’eji npa.”
“Stop plotting, scheming against someone. He had his past. You have yours. Even Pope had his past. Don’t let me expose your men of God o. They had their past too. And before I expose them I should look inward too. I have my past too. And you do too. If you have no past, you have no future.”
“Stop all this rancorous, noise of bitterness. Look, I will defend the rights of even my enemy when he earns that right.”
“Has he done something with power? Yes.”
“Has he done all things well? No.”
“But he did his best. You can’t give more than what you have.”
“Therefore, let’s sit around the table and say, these are the challenges. Do you know how long ago I told Yoruba elders to do this? Over ten years ago.”
“They’re now going around, milling around. We’re going to fix this country. And nobody has the monopoly of wisdom to do it. I know what I’m saying.”
“Today we have a backlash of social media. Call me names, I know my name. Say what you like about me but let’s face it.”
“These worthless men like the ones with Abimeleck, they perished with him because they did evil. But those who turned around, God still used them. He used David….Are you with me? I don’t want to say more than is necessary. A word is enough for the wise.”
“Look inward today and see what you can do, not only to provide for your family. The reason power is given is so that you can protect others. The reason riches is given is so that you can support others.”
“Until you understand the dynamics of power well, God will not bless you as He desires to because you would consume everything upon your own lust. Oh, you don’t know what Asiwaju had done. Oh, he’s making money from taxation. Why don’t you make yours?”
_Pastor Tunde Bakare, General Overseer (GO) of the Citadel Global Community Church delivered this transcribed video message in a Sunday sermon in 2020 entitled, “An idle man’s brain is the devil’s workshop.”_
*Transcription by FEMI ODERE, Head of Media and Publicity, DIASPORA DIRECTORATE, APC PCC and Spokesperson, Tinubu/Southwest Media Veterans Support Group.*