Tunde Bakare

Tunde Bakare, born 11 November 1954, is a Nigerian Prophetic-Apostolic pastor.[1] He studied law at the University of Lagos, practiced law before opening his law firm, and left the profession to work as a pastor. He worked as a legal adviser at the Deeper Life Bible Church, but later moved to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, where he became Pastor and founded the Model Parish. Following his time at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Bakare left to start the Latter Rain Assembly Church. In addition to his time in the church, Bakare was the running-mate of the Nigerian presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 Nigerian presidential election. Bakare has been critical of Nigeria's leadership and has sparked controversy with inflammatory comments regarding Muslims and other spiritual leaders.[2][3][4] In 2019, Bakare announced his intention to run for president of Nigeria following the end of Buhari's second term in 2023.[5]

Pastor

Tunde Bakare
Born
Babatunde Gbolahan Bakare

(1954-11-11) 11 November 1954
Abeokuta, Western Region, British Nigeria (now Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria)
EducationUniversity of Lagos, Nigeria
Occupation(s)Teacher, Lawyer, Author, activist
Websitewww.tundebakare.com

Early life

Bakare was born a Muslim, but converted to Christianity in 1974.[6][7]

Bakare attended All Saints Primary School, Kemta, Abeokuta and subsequently Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, after which he studied law at the University of Lagos between 1977 and 1980. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981, and following his time in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), he practiced law with Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, Rotimi Williams & Co and Burke & Co, Solicitors. He established his own law firm Tunde Bakare & Co (El-Shaddai Chambers) in October 1984.[7]

In April 1989, he founded The Latter Rain Assembly, now known as The Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), and is currently the Serving Overseer of the church.[8][9]

He presides over the Global Apostolic Impact Network (GAIN) – a network of churches, ministries and kingdom businesses committed to advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. Dr. Bakare is also the President of Latter Rain Ministries, Inc. (Church Development Center) in Atlanta, GA, USA, a ministry committed to restoring today's church to the scriptural pattern. He was given a Doctor of Ministry degree by the Indiana Christian University under the leadership of his mentor, Dr. Lester Sumrall in 1996.[7]

Views

Bakare is critical of Miyetti Allah, saying that the Fulani herdsmen are a group of terrorists who rape, murder, and kidnap innocent civilians.[10] Several Fulani Islamic scholars criticized Bakare's comments of Fulani herdsman as Islamophobic.[3] Bakare had said that Fulani herdsmen were driving Nigeria towards a civil war.[11]

He was reportedly arrested in March 2002 after preaching sermons critical of Nigeria's then-president Olusegun Obasanjo.[2]

After the 2019 Nigerian general election, Bakare stated that he would run for president after the expiration of Muhammadu Buhari's second term in 2023.[5] Bakare is a supporter of political Pan-Nigerianism.[12] In 2018, Bakare announced that he would start his "New Nigeria Progressive Movement" political movement.[13]

Bakare has claimed that many pastors in Nigeria get away with "fake prophecies" because their followers often do not hold them accountable.[4] Bakare was criticized however for claiming in a sermon in 2006, that Muhammadu Buhari would be a bad leader for Nigeria,[14]. Yet, he accepted the offer to be Buhari's vice-presidential candidate in the 2011 election.[15]

Tunde Bakare made his intentions of becoming the next president of Nigeria to church members in 2019 when he said, "I will succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria, nothing can change it. I am number 16, Buhari is number 15. I never said it to you before. I am saying it now, and nothing can change it. In the name of Jesus, he (Buhari) is number 15. I am number 16. To this end was I born and for this purpose came I into the world. I have prepared you for this for more than 30 years". This led to politicians such as Ikechukwu Amaechi claiming the pastor had come up with a prophecy in the past.[16]

References
  1. New religious movements in the twenty-first century. Routledge. 2004. p. 174.
  2. "Nigeria's 'prophet of doom' detained". The Independent (South Africa). 3 March 2002. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  3. Haroon-Ishola Balogun; Urowayino Warami (17 May 2019). "Pastor Bakare on bandits as C-in-C: Islamic scholars speak". Facing the Ka'aba News. Vanguard Nigeria. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  4. "'Fake prophecies': Why many Nigerian Pastors get away with it-Tunde Bakare". TVC News. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  5. "Tunde Bakare wants to succeed Buhari in 2023". Premium Times. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  6. McAnthony, Michael (29 July 2019). "I was once a Muslim- Pastor Tunde Bakare". The Christian Cornet. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  7. Bakare, Tunde. "About Tunde Bakare". tundebakare.com.
  8. [thecitadelglobal.org "Discover The Citadel Global Community Church"]. The Ctitadel Global Official Website. Retrieved 1 June 2022. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  9. Latter Rain Assembly. "About". lraglobal.org/.
  10. "'It Is Shameful To Compare Miyetti Allah To Afenifere' Says Tunde Bakare". Sahara Reporters. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  11. "Nigeria moving towards another collapse – Tunde Bakare". Vanguard Nigeria. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  12. John Owen Nwachukwu (28 July 2019). "2023 presidency: Pastor Tunde Bakare reveals where Buhari's successor should come from". Daily Post (Nigeria). Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  13. "Bakare announces political movement to restructure Nigeria". Vanguard Nigeria. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  14. "2023: Controversy over Pastor Tunde Bakare's prophecy on". Vanguard News. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  15. Pastor Reno Omokri (2 January 2019). "Who'll deliver Pastor Tunde Bakare from spirit of lying?". Vanguard Nigeria. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  16. "2023: Controversy over Pastor Tunde Bakare's prophecy on". Vanguard News. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
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