Founder of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has revealed that he is facing mounting pressure from political stakeholders to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), but he firmly ruled out any plans to switch allegiance.
Bakare disclosed on Saturday during the inaugural edition of the Citadel School of Governance Dialogue Series, themed ‘Nigeria at 65: Historical Reflections, Futuristic Projection’, held in Oregun, Lagos.
According to the cleric, several prominent political figures, including a former governor and minister from the South-West, have urged him to align with the ADC.
“There has been a lot of pressure on me from who’s who to join ADC. They come to my home. Even while I was abroad, the hierarchy of that party kept calling, saying they needed my voice,” Bakare said.
He further noted that a younger political associate, who had benefitted from holding key positions in the All Progressives Congress (APC), also encouraged him to lend his influence to the ADC.
However, Bakare dismissed the idea, saying, “I am not going to take part in ADC. The last time I knew about ADC was about a plane that crashed. I wish them well, because we need a robust opposition. But you don’t birth a child called APC and then try to kill it yourself. We are not going to have another Awolowo–Akintola crisis in the South-West.”
The cleric, who played a significant role in the formation of the APC, described the emergence of President Bola Tinubu as divinely ordained.
“If God wants to remove ‘emilokan,’ He knows how to do it. You can’t get the kind of thing Tinubu has brought without God’s support,” he added.
The ADC has, in recent years, sought to position itself as a credible opposition alternative, reaching out to prominent figures, including Bakare, to strengthen its influence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite these overtures, Bakare has consistently distanced himself from the ADC, affirming his loyalty to the APC while calling for a strong opposition that does not undermine existing party structures.
Also speaking at the event, Professor Akinjide Osuntokun, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, highlighted corruption and tribalism as Nigeria’s foremost challenges.
Osuntokun emphasised that governance outcomes, rather than ethnicity, should be the measure of leadership success.
