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 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]
Early life and education
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 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 about Fulani herdsmen 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 2006 sermon 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 expressed 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, and 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, I was born, and for this purpose, I came 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
^Hackett, Rosalind I.J. (2004). "Prophets, "False Prophets," and the African State: Emergent Issues of Religious Freedom and Conflict". In Licas, Phillip Charles; Robbins, Thomas (eds.). New religious movements in the twenty-first century. New York: Routledge. p. 174. ISBN0-415-96576-4.
