I foresee new Nigeria after polls – Bakare

Says ‘Emi Lo kan’ politics breeds intolerant leaders

The Serving Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Pastor Tunde Bakare, says he foresees a new Nigeria after the forthcoming general elections.

Bakare, who doubles as the Convener, Save Nigeria Group (SNG), stated this during his State of the Nation address, which also doubled as his New Year message, at the church headquarters in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the address was: “Bridging the Gap between Politics and Governance.”

READ ALSO: No development in Kogi State under APC – Atiku

Bakare paid tribute to the nation’s fallen heroes for the supreme sacrifice which they paid to ensure Nigeria’s unity.

He also commended the military officers on field for their gallantry in the fight against terrorism and other forms of criminality in the country.

The former presidential aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) said that Nigeria was going into the forthcoming elections with issues that had posed challenges to it.

According to him, the emergence of the three major presidential candidates from the three major ethnic nationalities in the country speaks volume of how God will shine His light in the middle of pervading darkness to make a new Nigeria.

“The election is coming 30 years after the aborted June 12 elections and this will serve as a reminder of a generational change of some sort.

“God has come out in His full majesty to re-engineer Nigeria to a new one that people will be proud of once again. The time is up for divisive leaders who are preying on the country,” he said.

The cleric, who spoke about the possibility of some politicians attempting to manipulate the forthcoming elections, called on Nigerians to guard against vote buying.

He, however, expressed happiness that none of the presidential candidates had military background, saying that this was a plus to the nation’s democracy.

Bakare urged Nigerians to cast their votes based on personality rather than on sentiments, adding that the difference between politics and governance was in the delivery of services for the common good.

While praying for the good of the Nigeria, he named the forthcoming general elections as “Nigeria wins.”

Bakare condemned ‘emi lo kan’ politics, saying politicians who practice such are intolerant.

The term ’emi lo kan’ which means ‘it is my turn’ in Yoruba language was made popular by the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, who used it to canvass for votes in Abeokuta, Ogun State in the build up to his party’s primary election last June.

Explaining the politics of entitlement further, the clergy said ‘emi lo kan’ politics only aims to gratify long personal ambitions.

Bakare said: “This ’emi lo kan’ politics that insists on one’s turn, even if circumstances do not align, is bad. Politics of entitlement also manifests as perennial candidacy, not with the intent to serve, but to gratify long time personal ambitions.

“It could also manifest as insistence on a given political office as a reward for what one considers a lifetime of sacrifice to the nation. Politicians with a sense of entitlement evade political debates; they do not consider it imperative to communicate with the electorate.

“Entitlement politics will breed an imperial presidency that is distant from the people and has no sense of responsibility or accountability to the people. Such imperial governance will slide towards dictatorship and will be intolerant of dissent.

“Entitlement politicians set low performance benchmarks for themselves when they secure power and are content with projecting molehills as mountains of achievement.”