Pastor Tunde Bakare opens up on his prophecy to succeed Buhari
Nigerian pastor and political figure, Tunde Bakare, has spoken publicly about his unfulfilled prophecy that he would succeed former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Bakare, the founder of Citadel Global Community Church and a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), addressed the issue during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Monday.
In a video recorded in 2018 and widely circulated online in 2019, Bakare had declared that he was divinely destined to become Nigeria’s next president after Buhari. “President Muhammadu Buhari is number 15, and I am number 16,” he said while addressing his congregation.
Bakare, who was Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), later contested the APC presidential primaries in 2022. He lost to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who now serves as Nigeria’s president.
Asked why the prophecy did not come to pass, Bakare responded, “That a man said something would happen and it didn’t does not make him a criminal or a false prophet.”
He referenced the Biblical story of Jonah and Nineveh, noting that even divine instructions can change. “Whether I said I would be number 16 or 17 and it didn’t happen, let’s leave that to the one who told me to take the APC form,” he said.
Despite the outcome, Bakare maintained that his vision for Nigeria remains unchanged. “I thank God that all the desires and plans I have for this country are still intact,” he said. “I’m not chasing power or position. But when the opportunity comes, I will support whoever is in leadership to ensure Nigeria moves forward.”
