{{short description|Nigerian prophetic-apostolic pastor and politician (born 1954)|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox pastor |honorific_prefix = Pastor |honorific_suffix = | name = Tunde Bakare | birth_name = Babatunde Gbolahan Bakare | image = File:Pastor Tunde Bakare.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|11|11|df=y }} | birth_place = Abeokuta, Western Region, British Nigeria (now Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria) <!-- | residence = Lagos, Nigeria --> | education = University of Lagos, Nigeria | occupation = Teacher, Lawyer, Author, activist | website = {{URL |http://www.tundebakare.com/}}
}} '''Tunde Bakare''' {{Audio|LL-Q34311 (yor)-Jessephu-Tunde Bakare.wav|Listen|help=no}} (Born 11 November 1954) is a Nigerian prophetic-apostolic pastor.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hackett |first=Rosalind I.J. |url=https://archive.org/details/newreligiousmove0000unse_t4s7 |title=New religious movements in the twenty-first century |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |isbn=0-415-96576-4 |editor-last=Licas |editor-first=Phillip Charles |location=New York |page=174 |chapter=Prophets, "False Prophets," and the African State: Emergent Issues of Religious Freedom and Conflict |editor-last2=Robbins |editor-first2=Thomas |url-access=registration}}</ref> He studied law at the University of Lagos, practiced law before opening his law firm, and left the profession to work as a pastor. He worked as a legal adviser at the Deeper Life Bible Church, but later moved to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, where he became pastor and founded the Model Parish. Following his time at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Bakare left to start the Latter Rain Assembly Church. In addition to his time in the church, Bakare was the running-mate of Nigerian presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 Nigerian presidential election. Bakare has been critical of Nigeria's leadership and has sparked controversy with inflammatory comments regarding Muslims and other spiritual leaders.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=3 March 2002 |title=Nigeria's 'prophet of doom' detained |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/nigerias-prophet-of-doom-detained-82728 |accessdate=2024-01-26 |work=The Independent (South Africa) |publisher=}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> In 2019, Bakare announced his intention to run for president of Nigeria following the end of Buhari's second term in 2023.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ogunjuyigbe |first=Oluwatosin |date=2025-11-30 |title=Tunde Bakare tells Tinubu to ‘stop playing ostrich,’ overhaul security as threats escalate |url=https://businessday.ng/news/article/tunde-bakare-tells-tinubu-to-stop-playing-ostrich-overhaul-security-as-threats-escalate/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2025-12-19 |newspaper=BusinessDay|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Omosola |first=Friday |date=2025-12-01 |title=‘Trump is targeting Nigeria’s oil’, mineral wealth – Pastor Tunde Bakare claims |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/840064-trump-is-targeting-nigerias-oil-mineral-wealth-pastor-tunde-bakare-claims.html |access-date=2025-12-19 |language=en-GB |issn=2360-7688|newspaper=Premium Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=AriseNews |date=2025-06-05 |title=Tinubu Hosts Pastor Tunde Bakare at Lagos Residence, Cleric Preaches National Unity |url=https://www.arise.tv/tinubu-hosts-pastor-tunde-bakare-in-lagos-for-private-talks-on-national-unity/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wahab |first=Akinbayo |date=2025-10-05 |title=If God wants to remove ‘Emi l'okan’, He knows how to do it — Tunde Bakare |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/10/if-god-wants-to-remove-emilokan-he-knows-how-to-do-it-tunde-bakare/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2025-12-19 |newspaper=Vanguard|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Akinselure |first=Wale |date=2025-12-01 |title=Trump targeting Nigeria’s oil, says Bakare |url=https://punchng.com/trump-targeting-nigerias-oil-says-bakare/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |newspaper=The Punch|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Bakare was born a Muslim, but converted to Christianity in 1974.<ref>{{cite web |last=McAnthony |first=Michael |date=29 July 2019 |title=I was once a Muslim- Pastor Tunde Bakare |url=https://thechristiancornet.com/i-was-once-a-muslim-pastor-tunde-bakare/ |url-status=unfit |accessdate=9 September 2019 |website=The Christian Cornet |publisher=}}{{Dead link|date=January 2024|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name="tundebakare"/>
Bakare attended All Saints Primary School, Kemta, Abeokuta, and subsequently Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, after which he studied law at the University of Lagos between 1977 and 1980. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981 and following his time in the National Youth Service Corps (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.<ref name="tundebakare">{{cite web|last1=Bakare|first1=Tunde|title=About Tunde Bakare|url=http://tundebakare.com/about/|website=tundebakare.com|access-date=1 October 2014|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006074254/http://tundebakare.com/about/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In April 1989, he founded The Latter Rain Assembly, now known as The Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), and is currently the serving overseer of the church.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Discover The Citadel Global Community Church |url=https://live.thecitadelglobal.org/ |access-date=1 June 2022 |website=The Ctitadel Global Official Website}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Latter Rain Assembly|title=About|url=http://lraglobal.org/the-executive-team/|website=lraglobal.org/}}</ref>
He presides over the 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 Indiana Christian University under the leadership of his mentor, Dr. Lester Sumrall, in 1996.<ref name="tundebakare"/>
==Views== Bakare is critical of Miyetti Allah, saying that the Fulani herdsmen are a group of terrorists who rape, murder, and kidnap innocent civilians.<ref>{{Cite news|title= 'It Is Shameful To Compare Miyetti Allah To Afenifere' Says Tunde Bakare|url=http://saharareporters.com/2019/05/14/it-shameful-compare-miyetti-allah-afenifere-says-tunde-bakare|location=New York City, United States|date=14 May 2019|accessdate=9 September 2019|newspaper=Sahara Reporters}}</ref> Several Fulani Islamic scholars criticized Bakare's comments about Fulani herdsmen as Islamophobic.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |author1=Balogun |first=Haroon-Ishola |date=17 May 2019 |title=Pastor Bakare on bandits as C-in-C: Islamic scholars speak |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/05/pastor-bakare-on-bandits-as-c-in-c-islamic-scholars-speak/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|accessdate=9 September 2019 |newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref> Bakare had said that Fulani herdsmen were driving Nigeria towards a civil war.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Nigeria moving towards another collapse – Tunde Bakare|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/05/nigeria-moving-towards-another-collapse-tunde-bakare/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|date=29 May 2017|accessdate=9 September 2019|newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref>
He was reportedly arrested in March 2002 after preaching sermons critical of Nigeria's then-president, Olusegun Obasanjo.<ref name=":0" />
After the 2019 Nigerian general election, Bakare stated that he would run for president after the expiration of Muhammadu Buhari's second term in 2023.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|title=Tunde Bakare wants to succeed Buhari in 2023|url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/318908-tunde-bakare-wants-to-succeed-buhari-in-2023.html|date=9 March 2019|accessdate=9 September 2019|newspaper=Premium Times}}</ref> Bakare is a supporter of political Pan-Nigerianism.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Nwachukwu |first=John Owen |date=28 July 2019 |title=2023 presidency: Pastor Tunde Bakare reveals where Buhari's successor should come from |url=https://dailypost.ng/2019/07/28/2023-presidency-pastor-tunde-bakare-reveals-buharis-successor-come/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|accessdate=9 September 2019 |newspaper=Daily Post}}</ref> In 2018, Bakare announced that he would start his "New Nigeria Progressive Movement" political movement.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Akinrefon |first=Dapo |date=5 March 2019 |title=Bakare announces political movement to restructure Nigeria |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/bakare-announces-political-movement-restructure-nigeria/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|accessdate=9 September 2019 |newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref>
Bakare has claimed that many pastors in Nigeria get away with "fake prophecies" because their followers often do not hold them accountable.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title= 'Fake prophecies': Why many Nigerian Pastors get away with it-Tunde Bakare |url=https://tvcnews.tv/fake-prophecies-why-many-nigerian-pastors-get-away-with-it-tunde-bakare/|publisher=TVC News|date=15 July 2019|accessdate=9 September 2019}}</ref> Bakare was criticized, however, for claiming in a 2006 sermon that Muhammadu Buhari would be a bad leader for Nigeria.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Eyoboka |first=Sam |date=2019-09-29 |title=2023: Controversy over Pastor Tunde Bakare's prophecy on |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/09/2023-controversy-over-pastor-tunde-bakares-prophecy-on-buharis-successor/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2020-05-29 |newspaper=Vanguard|language=en-US}}</ref> Yet he accepted the offer to be Buhari's vice presidential candidate in the 2011 election.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Who'll deliver Pastor Tunde Bakare from spirit of lying?|author=Pastor Reno Omokri|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/wholl-deliver-pastor-tunde-bakare-from-spirit-of-lying-reno/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|date=2 January 2019|accessdate=9 September 2019|newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref>
Tunde Bakare expressed his intentions of becoming the next president of Nigeria to church members in 2019 when he said, "I will succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria; nothing can change it. I am number 16, and Buhari 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, he (Buhari) is number 15. I am number 16. To this end, I was born, and for this purpose, I came 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.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-09-29|title=2023: Controversy over Pastor Tunde Bakare's prophecy on|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/09/2023-controversy-over-pastor-tunde-bakares-prophecy-on-buharis-successor/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2021-02-23|newspaper=Vanguard|language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakare, Tunde}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Nigerian religious leaders Category:Nigerian Pentecostal pastors Category:People from Abeokuta Category:Yoruba Christian clergy Category:University of Lagos alumni Category:Pentecostal writers Category:Nigerian former Sunni Muslims Category:Nigerian television evangelists Category:Converts to Pentecostalism from Sunni Islam Category:Candidates in the Nigerian general election, 2011 Category:People educated at Lisabi Grammar School