Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
Prophetic-Apostolic pastor. He originally studied and practiced law, eventually opening his own firm, before leaving the field to work in ministry. He was a member and legal adviser at the Deeper Life Bible Church, but later departed to join the
Redeemed Christian Church of God
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a Pentecostal megachurch and denomination founded in Lagos, Nigeria. The General overseer (most senior pastor) is Enoch Adeboye, ordained in 1981. The church in Lagos had an average church attendanc ...
where he became Pastor and founded the Model Parish. Following his time at Redeemed Christian Church of God, Bakare left to start the Latter Rain Assembly. In addition to his time in the church, Bakare was the running-mate of the Nigerian presidential candidate
Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015.
Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...
in the
2011 Nigerian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Nigeria on 16 April 2011, postponed from 9 April 2011. As of 2019, Bakare has announced his intentions to run for president of Nigeria following the end of Buhari's second term in 2023.
Early life
Bakare has said that he was born a
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, but converted to Christianity in 1974.
Bakare attended All Saints Primary School, Kemta, Abeokuta and subsequently
Lisabi Grammar School
Lisabi Grammar School (LGS) is a coeducational public high school in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. It was founded in September 1943 as Lisabi Commercial College at Ijoko. It became a Grammar school (Lisabi Grammar School) in 1961. Currently, ...
,
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokuta and the surrounding are ...
, after which he studied
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
at the
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...
between 1977 and 1980. He was called to the Bar in 1981 and following his time in the
National Youth Service Corps
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a program set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime to involve Nigerian graduates in nation-building and the development of the country. There is no military conscription in Nigeria, ...
(NYSC), he practiced law with Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, Rotimi Williams & Co and Burke & Co, Solicitors. He established his own law firm Tunde Bakare & Co (El-Shaddai Chambers) in October 1984.
In May 1988, at the peak of his legal career he was called into ministry and founded The Latter Rain Assembly (End-Time Church) now known as The Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC) on 1 April 1989 and is currently the Serving Overseer of the church.
He presides over Global Apostolic Impact Network (GAIN) – a network of churches, ministries and kingdom businesses committed to advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. Dr. Bakare is also the President of Latter Rain Ministries, Inc. (Church Development Center) in Atlanta, GA, USA, a ministry committed to restoring today's church to the scriptural pattern. He was given a Doctor of Ministry degree by the Indiana Christian University under the leadership of his mentor, Dr. Lester Sumrall in 1996.
Views
Bakare is critical of Miyetti Allah, saying that the
Fulani herdsmen
Fulani herdsmen or Fulani pastoralists are nomadic or semi-nomadic Fulani people whose primary occupation is raising livestock. The Fulani herdsmen are largely located in the Sahel and semi-arid parts of West Africa, but due to relatively rec ...
are a group of terrorists who rape, murder, and kidnap innocent civilians. Several Fulani Islamic scholars criticized Bakare's comments of Fulani herdsman as Islamophobic. Bakare had said in the past that Fulani herdsmen were driving Nigeria towards a civil war.
He was reportedly arrested in March 2002 after preaching sermons critical of Nigeria's then-president
Olusegun Obasanjo
Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its pres ...
Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015.
Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...
's second term in 2023. Bakare is a supporter of political Pan-Nigerianism. In 2018, Bakare announced that he would be starting his own political movement, titled "New Nigeria Progressive Movement".
Bakare has claimed that many pastors in Nigeria get away with "fake prophecies" because their followers often do not hold them accountable. Bakare was criticized however for claiming in a sermon in 2006, that Muhammadu Buhari would be a bad leader for Nigeria, yet he accepted the offer to be Buhari's vice-presedentical candidate in the 2011 election.
Tunde Bakare made his intentions of becoming the next president of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
to church members in 2019 when he said, "I will succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria, nothing can change it. I am number 16,
Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015.
Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...
is number 15. I never said it to you before. I am saying it now and nothing can change it. In the name of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, he (Buhari) is number 15. I am number 16. To this end was I born and for this purpose came I into the world. I have prepared you for this for more than 30 years". This led to politicians such as Ikechukwu Amaechi claiming the pastor had come up with a prophecy in the past.