On Sunday, Pastor Tunde Bakare, the current leader of the Citadel Global Community Church, reminded his congregation that he had previously cautioned Nigerians about the perils of “Emilokan” politics.
The Yoruba word emilikan, which means “my turn,” was often used during President Bola Tinubu’s 2020 election campaign.
Bakare asserted that Emilokan reflects a penchant towards autocracy.
To paraphrase the cleric’s remarks: “I’m reminded of the warning that I issued to Nigerians in January 2023 in my lecture titled, ‘Bridging the gap between politics and governance.’ I foresaw that the ’emilokan’ politics of entitlement would lead to an imperium presidency, one that would become increasingly authoritarian and intolerant of opposition.
Bakare was similarly skeptical of the ECOWAS plan to intervene militarily in the Republic of Niger.
It’s at an all-time low,” he said, “in terms of local support for Nigeria by Nigeriens. As a result, resorting to violence is futile. We strongly disagree with the recent coups in West Africa, but we also acknowledge that the continent’s leaders need to examine their own motivations and actions. We need strong leadership from Nigeria right now. The fundamental issue is whether or not President Tinubu can serve as a moral leader at home.
Bakare had run for president in the primary election for the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year, which Tinubu won.
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