Bakare: Nigeria at Crossroads, Urges North-South Unity to Avert Collapse
LAGOS, Nigeria – Prominent cleric Pastor Tunde Bakare has issued a stark warning. Specifically, the convener of the Citadel Global Community Church stated Nigeria stands at a “moral and political crossroads.” He declared the country must now choose between total collapse or a “complete revolution” of its core values. Moreover, the fiery preacher and long-time political commentator delivered an urgent plea for national unity. He called for the North and South to “lock hands” to save the republic from its foundational flaws.
A System ‘Designed to Fail’
Speaking from his Lagos pulpit, Bakare offered a grim diagnosis of Nigeria’s systemic ailments. He argued the nation’s political architecture is not merely “broken.” Instead, he claims it was fundamentally “designed to fail the people.” Consequently, Bakare warned that no amount of cosmetic reform could fix this deep-seated rot. He delivered this message during a sermon themed “A Major Shift in the National Landscape.” This service honored the late President Muhammadu Buhari and the late Awujale of Ijebu-Ode, Oba Sikiru Adetona. During the sermon, Bakare insisted the nation’s survival depends on a radical ‘overhaul’ of its value system. He portrayed a country bleeding from corruption, tribalism, and profound injustice. Indeed, he cautioned that a nation celebrating looters while punishing truth-tellers cannot possibly survive. His message framed the current moment as a final, decisive juncture.
The core of Bakare’s impassioned plea centered on Tunde Bakare national unity. This is a theme he has revisited with increasing urgency. In his address, he directly confronted the regional and ethnic divisions defining Nigeria’s political history. “Now is the time for Nigerians across the North and South to lock hands in the cords of unity and to build a great nation,” Bakare proclaimed. Furthermore, he stressed that legacies of past leaders remind the nation it cannot be built on divisive politics. Using a powerful metaphor, the cleric admonished that the “giant of Africa cannot stand on one leg.” He rejected building Nigeria as a one-party state or on a foundation of exclusion. Ultimately, he stated true progress requires both a strong ruling party and a robust opposition to guarantee good governance.
‘Stop Playing God’: Bakare Slams Political Leadership
This call for unity comes amid what Bakare described as a perilous “descent into tyranny.” During an earlier “State of the Nation” broadcast, the former presidential hopeful delivered a scathing critique of the current administration, accusing it of fostering a “motor park brand of politics.” His rebuke was aimed directly at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to “stop playing God” and embrace humility. The cleric also lamented the “brazen abuse of power.” Additionally, Bakare criticized the perceived determination of those in power to destabilize political institutions and obliterate constitutional guardrails. This sharp political critique, therefore, defines the “crossroads” Bakare references. He paints a picture of a nation not just struggling. In his view, a leadership class lacking humility and character is actively undermining the country.
Economic Hardship ‘Most Horrific Climax’
Furthermore, Bakare explicitly linked this political decay to the excruciating economic hardship that millions face. He argued the “crossroads” is not an abstract political theory. Instead, it is a lived, painful reality for the populace. The cleric cited the government’s economic reforms as the trigger for “unprecedented hardships.” These include, for example, rampant food inflation and the “worst cost of living crisis in a generation.” He pointed to the horrific “stampede deaths” in several cities at the end of 2024. In those incidents, citizens died while scrambling for food aid. He called this the “most horrific climax” of the nation’s economic suffering. For Bakare, political failures and economic suffering are two heads of the same monster. Ultimately, he warned this monster threatens to consume the nation unless the people implement fundamental, value-based changes immediately.
A Final Call for a ‘Value Revolution’
This passionate intervention is not a new direction for the cleric. In fact, it is the continuation of a long-standing pattern of warning. In previous addresses, for instance, Bakare consistently cautioned that Nigeria has “merely papered over the cracks.” These cracks represent deep regional, ethnic, and religious fault lines. A long-held belief that the nation must restructure to survive roots his calls for unity. Years ago, during his own presidential bid, he proposed a “Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Rebirth.” This commission was intended to address the grave wounds of the past. Worryingly, his current message suggests he believes time is running out for such measures. The festering wounds now threaten to turn fatal.
As a clear example, Bakare recently demonstrated his plea for unity over division. He revealed he had shunned persistent pressure from political heavyweights to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Also, he explained his refusal as a stand against deepening factional competition, especially within the South-West. He explicitly warned against repeating destructive historical rivalries. Specifically, he cited the feud between Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Samuel Akintola, which fractured the region’s politics. For Bakare, the antidote to Nigeria’s crisis is not shifting political allegiances or creating new factions. Rather, the solution, he insists, must be a “value revolution.” This revolution must center on integrity, justice, and a unified national identity. His message is a clarion call: the old order must give way to the new, or there will be no nation left to save.