The founder of The Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said the state of Nigeria does not represent the President Muhammadu Buhari he knew.
Speaking in a State of the Nation broadcast, Bakare warned Buhari to wake up from his slumber or his legacy will be confined to an unsavoury side of history.
Bakare said “I am compelled to speak out because this is not the Nigeria General Muhammadu Buhari and I had dreams to create when he invited me to be his running mate in 2011.
“I am compelled to speak out because the state of the nation does not represent the Buhari I knew when we took that solemn journey towards rebuilding Nigeria.
“I am compelled to speak out at this point because, given the state of the nation, the legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari is in grave danger of being confined to an unsavoury side of history. I am indeed compelled to speak out because Nigeria is in a state of emergency.”
“The diagnosis indicates that a surgical procedure is unavoidable; the longer it is postponed, the more she stands to lose and the longer it will take for her to recover. The purpose of this address is to present the facts of this diagnosis and point a way out of our current crisis even as we approach a critical juncture in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The purpose of this address is to ensure that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari finishes strong and breaks the jinx of the second-term curse,” he said.
Bakare said as laudable as the achievements of Buhari during his first tenure were, the current state of the nation was a clear indication that these efforts have been insufficient in dealing with national problems.
“They have been unable to address the underlying problems of the Nigerian nation. The major limitation of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has been the failure to appreciate the fact that the problems of Nigeria are more deeply rooted than these honest efforts can reach, and that what is required is a holistic and systematic approach to governance.
“Unfortunately, after winning re-election in 2019, rather than do a deep dive to address the fundamental causes of our national malady by dealing with the root causes of insecurity, corruption and joblessness, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari decided to treat more symptoms by broadening its agenda.
“Instead, we have spent time papering over cracks and dressing windows while the weak foundational structures are crumbling under the weight of neglect,” he said.