Senior pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, has revealed he was made a running mate to Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 presidential election by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
The revered preacher and politician also revealed he was made running mate following the refusal of former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili to play the role.
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The preacher stated he sorted the advice of Pastor Enoch Adeboye before accepting to run with the current president.
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Bakare who was telling the story of how he became running mate to Buhari in 2011, disclosed Buhari had called him to recommend a running mate from the South as it was difficult to win the elections without a strong harmonization between the North and the South.
According to the cleric, vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Oby Ezekwesili, Jimi Agbaje, current Minister of Trade and Industry, Niyi Adebayo, made up the number of persons he contacted to run with Buhari.
While Agbaje was dropped along the line, Ezekwesili, who he contacted through the help of Adeboye, blatantly refused to run with Buhari.
He said Buhari had insisted on having the greatest grassroots mobilizers as running mate to put up a fierce fight in the elections.
Thr Sun quoted the cleric to have said; “Pastor Adeboye told me he (Buhari) would need a strong Christian to be his running mate. I said to him that Oby is strong too; he said no, that she must not leave certainty for uncertainty because she was working at the World Bank then.”
“On January 15, 2011, at 12 noon, my phone rang, it was Buhari. He said, Pastor, I had prayed the way I know how to pray, and I want you to pray also, I want you to be my running mate.
“I said to him…that I will never seek an elective office or join a political party. He said I should pray about it and call him back in seven hours, I didn’t call him.
“I called Pastor Adeboye and informed him, he said that was it and that he already said Buhari needs a strong Christian and that I am the man and I must go there.
“I consulted across the board and I signed on at the last day to become his running mate. Of course, we didn’t win the election.”
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