Pastor Bakare visits Tinubu after vowing not to address him as 'my president'

Pastor Tunde Bakare, Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos State.

The visit was confirmed in an X post by presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, who shared a photo of the President with the cleric on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.

This marked the first meeting between Tinubu and Bakare since the former took office as president. The duo had contested for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket in the 2022 primary, with the former Lagos State Governor emerging as the winner.

However, a few days before Tinubu's swearing in on May 29, 2023, the cleric vowed that he would never address the then-President-elect as "my President."

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"Any public lecture anywhere, before this mess is cleared off, I will address Asiwaju as a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but I will never call him my president.” he said.

Bakare dismisses personal rift with Tinubu

However, speaking with journalists after the closed-door meeting on Wednesday, Bakare said his discussion with the President focused on national development and the future of Nigeria.

“It’s not about just reservations. It’s about how the country will go well. My personal vision is to see a nation that works in my lifetime, and those things I’ve discussed with Mr President, they’re not hidden things, but I’ve learned that when you discuss with the person in charge, you leave it with him to do whatsoever he wills with what you have suggested," he stated.

“So I’ve had a private conversation with Mr President and I’m glad that he received me well and I trust that God will help our nation.”

The expressed optimism for a peaceful and united Nigeria, calling for cross-regional collaboration to move the country forward.

“I’d like to see Nigerians being their brother’s keeper. I like to see good collaboration between the best of the north and the best of the south to steer Nigeria in the right direction. I’d like to see predictable progress in our nation.

“We have danced around some subjects for too long a time; it’s time to take concrete action to ensure that the mercies of our country do not live in abject poverty, that’s all,” he added.

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The meeting comes after a recent verbal altercation between Bakare and the 10th National Assembly, in which the former rebuked the latter in his Easter State-of-the-Nation broadcast.

Bakare accused Tinubu of reducing the legislature to “a haven for legislative rascality,” describing it as the “48th member” of his cabinet.

Responding through its spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate said Bakare had “crossed the line” with his remarks.