Tunde Bakare at 70 : A Radical Preacher Who Always  Lives His Words

His journey to the top in evangelism is as interesting as his conversion to Christianity from a predominant Muslim background. The story is not different from his radical decision to switch from his first love, law, to full time ministry at a time when people were already looking up to him as a natural heir of Gani Fawehinmi’s world of activism. As this man of God clocks 70 this week, Raheem Akingbolu writes on the iconic Babatunde Gbolahan Bakare, the lawyer, the preacher and human right crusader

Everything about Pastor Tunde Bakare seems shrouded in mystery but to an average person, he is like other General Overseers. On a closer look at his journey through life, one finds a man ordained from his mother’s womb, not only to be a preacher but to be a fighter – with a purpose to emancipate the society. By all means, his journey from cradle to becoming a septuagenarian clearly echoes his belief that ‘God is at work.’

Born a Muslim and equipped with the rudiments of Islamic education, Bakare had expanded his literacy to the level of being able to read the Quran effortlessly. Young Bakare had started leading the prayer and assisting the local mallams in his community during official Islamic engagement. While some of his mates took in everything unreservedly, young Tunde was curious and started asking questions about his faith. Then came the inspiration and he accepted Christ in 1974. The rest, as they say, is history!

No doubt, he is intellectually endowed and naturally motivated to pick interest in law. He gained admission to study Law at the prestigious University of Lagos and came out in flying colours. Bakare headed to Law School and qualified as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. His success at the bar threw his loving mother, Madam Eebudola Bakare, now late, and other members of his family into jubilation. At the time he became a lawyer, everybody in the society regarded the noble profession as a key to immediate success.

“Almost everything I have done today that God has ‘graced’ me to do started from when I was young,” he recounted. “For example, it was in 1963 I knew I would be a lawyer. Again, God always guides me through dreams and that has reflected in how I became a Christian and other things in life.

“For instance, the dream I had on April 10, 1967, was what brought Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Gbenga Daniel and I together from my university days and he mentored us on how to handle state affairs – don’t put your hands in it till you go get a profession first or a career or a business so you will not have to steal.”

Within a short period of being called to the bar, Bakare’s brilliance and advocacy had distinguished him from others. After completing his one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps programme, he started his professional career with the Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, Rotimi Williams & Co, and Burke & Co, Solicitors. Later on, he established his own law firm, Tunde Bakare & Co (El-Shaddai Chambers) in October 1984.

In all the chambers he worked in, his principals, including the indomitable Chief Gani Fawehinmi, were always happy that their hook had caught a big legal fish. In the courtroom, young Tunde Bakare was a beauty to behold because of the way he marshaled his points and argued his case. To journalists, he was a delight to interviewers and his take on issues were making the headlines.

At the time, some were seeing him as another Rotimi Williams in-the-making, Bakare dropped the bombshell: “I have received the call to serve God.”

With this declaration, Bakare dropped the wig for the cassock and started his ministry, The Latter Rain Assembly (End-Time Church). The church is now known as The Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC) and he currently serves as the Serving Overseer of the church. Precisely in May 1988, he was called into the gospel ministry of Jesus Christ and on April 1, 1989, he founded his own ministry.

From delivering a state of the nation’s address to bring an agent of social change, his trajectory speaks volumes on the link between his background as a firebrand lawyer and some of the actions he takes on issues.

“Let me for the sake of posterity state clearly here that I am not an agent of any individual,” he continued. “Up till today, whatever I have done for any government, past or present, publicly or behind the scenes, I have done pro bono.

“As for me, regardless of how I am perceived, I will continue to contribute my quota, as long as I breathe, to build an enduring and progressive nation.”

Looking back at some of the past steps that would have gone a long way in solving some of the country’s socio-political problems, he reflected on his advice to former President Goodluck Jonathan on the 2014 National Conference.

“I appealed to Mr. President not to ignore the report of the 2014 National Conference! God went ahead of you to provide a navigational map with which you can begin to steer the ship of state to a safe destination. The APC may have refused to participate in the 2014 National Conference, but the report of that conference is completely in tandem with the promise of the APC manifesto.”

To Bakare, being a pastor doesn’t make one an ever conformist individual. Not long after he started his ministry, Nigerians started seeing a different man of God: a practical Christian who says it the way it is; not minding whose ox is gored. Till today, Bakare speaks truth to power and walks where angels fear to tread. Many times, many people have described Pastor Bakare as a ‘noise maker’ but deep inside Nigerians, they know Bakare is speaking their minds. In a way, the assignment Bakare didn’t finish as a People’s Lawyer, he has spent a good chunk of his years in the ministry to do more in fighting for the people and lifting the poor.

In the light of this, he told this reporter his take on political and economic restructuring.

“Is it a coincidence that every state of the federation is endowed with mineral resources? Would it not be a better strategy for states to be empowered to manage these resources?

“Is it sheer coincidence that the nation’s bio-geographical features, including the vegetation belts and rivers, roughly divide the landscape into six geographical zones? Shouldn’t these zones provide a basis for economic mapping and development? Why were the regions in the days of our founding fathers so economically viable to the extent of sustaining the federal government? Why can’t we begin a geo-economic path to geopolitical restructuring?”

Bakare is not one of those who believe Christians should be apolitical or see politics as the business of the sinners. To him, to change the affairs of your people or how they are being ruled is not by sitting on the fence. With this belief, Bakare threw the Nigerian Christian community into huge surprise when he announced his decision to throw his hat into the ring and swim in the murky water of politics. Yes, he was blackmailed and abused. But he stood his ground like a gospel warrior that he is and made his statement. Though he didn’t succeed in becoming the President of Nigeria, his participation changed the game and redefined the polity.  Who will blame Bakare for not winning when the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, despite his populist ideology was frustrated at the poll? Who will blame Bakare when Chief Moshood Abiola, with his clout, deep pocket and promise of Africa emancipation, won and yet was humiliated, charged with treason for declaring himself as President and eventually died in detention?

Indeed, Bakare has, over the years, been using his personal resources, expertise as a lawyer, wide networks and various platforms like the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) to mediate in several inter-ethnic and communal clashes in some of Nigeria’s conflict hotbeds. Born in 2010, the SNG is a coalition of progressive political society, organisations and individuals noted for engendering significant political shifts.

PTB has demonstrated beyond measure that he is a man of conviction of steel. There are more than two dozen incidents like this but each time, he overcame; seeing them as a test of his character and his readiness to be a leader without greed and covetousness.

Bakare has shown over the years with his conduct, with his ministry and with his politics that he is a man of honour with the love of the people in his heart. He wants a change and he has continued to push for the desired change.

At the peak of the constitutional crisis engendered by the ill-health of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, Bakare deployed his Save Nigeria Group (SNG) to press for the installation of then acting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as the substantive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He also used his platform to provide President Jonathan the framework to “Save and Transform Nigeria.”

Bakare was the running mate to the then General Buhari in the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) during which he designed a framework to rebuild Nigeria and make Nigeria work for every Nigerian. The framework would later form the bedrock for the manifesto of APC.

In 2007, Bakare founded the International Centre for Reconstruction and Development (ICRD), a not-for-profit research-led propositional platform committed to the transformation of Africa.

As this man of God steps steadily into his 70th year on earth, the prayer that should be paramount in the lips of Nigerians, is that God should give Gbolahan Babatunde Bakare to live long with calm boldness, thriving wisdom and dignifying grace.