In a recent address to his congregation, Pastor Tunde Bakare, the serving overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, revisited his earlier caution to Nigerians regarding the perils of what he termed "Emilokan" politics.
The term "Emilokan," translating to 'It's my turn' in Yoruba, gained prominence during President Bola Tinubu's campaign leading up to the 2023 elections. Bakare asserted that this concept embodies a trend towards authoritarianism.
The cleric reminisced, saying, "I am reminded of the alarm I raised to Nigerians back in January 2023 in my discourse titled 'Bridging the gap between politics and governance.' I had forewarned about the emergence of politics based on entitlement, the 'emilokan' variant, which could foster a presidency with imperial tendencies, sliding towards dictatorship and exhibiting intolerance towards dissension."
Bakare also shared his reservations about ECOWAS's proposed military intervention in the Republic of Niger. He elaborated, "The local support for Nigeria among Nigeriens is presently at an unprecedented low. Engaging in warfare would, therefore, be counterproductive. Although we condemn coup d'etats in West Africa, it is crucial for African leaders to deeply reflect on the prevailing situation. At this juncture, we urge Nigeria to exemplify effective leadership. The fundamental question remains whether President Tinubu possesses the ethical leadership capacity, even within our national context."
It's worth noting that Bakare participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary last year, which culminated in the selection of Tinubu as the party's flagbearer.
