The Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has called on Nigerian leaders to address the country’s institutional weaknesses, warning that sustainable development cannot be achieved without strong institutions, leadership continuity and responsible governance.
Bakare made the call on Sunday in Lagos during the presentation of his three-volume publication, Strategic Intervention in Governance, which documents his contributions to national discussions on governance and development spanning nearly two decades.
The cleric and former presidential candidate argued that changing political leaders alone would not solve Nigeria’s longstanding challenges. He said the country required leaders who could confront difficult issues while building institutions capable of sustaining progress beyond individual administrations.
“Nation-building is impossible without leadership continuity. Vision without succession eventually dies,” Bakare said.
The publication contains 104 speeches delivered between 2008 and 2025 across five presidential administrations, covering issues including governance, constitutional reform, corruption, accountability, leadership and national development.
The event attracted prominent figures from politics, academia, law, religion and civil society, including former governors Victor Attah, Kayode Fayemi and Segun Osoba, former Minister of Health Olorunnimbe Mamora, Pastor Jimi Odukoya of Fountain of Life Church, human rights advocate Joe Okei-Odumakin, Prof Akin Oyebode and University of Lagos Vice-Chancellor, Prof Folasade Ogunshola.
In his review of the publication, Elder Olabode Adekanye described the trilogy as a record of Bakare’s 18-year engagement with Nigeria’s governance challenges, highlighting his transition from a critic of government policies to an advocate for stronger institutions.
Adekanye said the books represented more than a collection of speeches, describing them as a reflection on the responsibilities of leaders and citizens in rebuilding the nation.
“The voice that challenged a nation,” he said, adding that the publication encouraged Nigerians to move beyond identifying problems and become involved in finding solutions.
The three books cover different stages of Bakare’s public interventions. The first volume contains 36 speeches delivered between 2008 and 2015, the second features 31 speeches from 2015 to 2018, while the third includes 37 speeches delivered between 2019 and 2025.
Adekanye noted that the speeches were presented in various settings, including churches, universities, civic gatherings, press conferences, protest movements, business forums and political events, stressing that national conversations should involve more than politicians.
“Strategic Intervention in Governance is not a book about politics. It is a book about the cost of silence, and the price a nation pays when its conscience stays in the church and never enters the chambers of power,” he said.
The publication also chronicles Bakare’s involvement in Nigeria’s political history, including his opposition to military rule, his resistance to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, his detention during the administration of the late Gen Sani Abacha and his role in the Save Nigeria Group protests during the 2010 constitutional crisis.
The review portrayed Bakare as an active participant in the country’s political development, noting that his interventions often brought him into confrontation with authorities.
It highlighted his opposition to the annulment of the June 12 election under Gen Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, his detention in 1997 during Abacha’s government and his criticism of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, which led to his detention and passport confiscation in 2002.
The review also examined Bakare’s role in the Save Nigeria Group campaign, describing it as part of his belief that citizens and institutions must respond when governance structures fail.
The first volume focuses on political legitimacy and the nature of authority, including Bakare’s argument that government derives its power from citizens and should therefore be viewed as a trust rather than permanent ownership.
It also examines major national issues such as the 2012 fuel subsidy protests and the 2014 National Conference, while questioning repeated attempts to address constitutional challenges without resolving deeper structural problems.
The second volume explores institutional weaknesses and the connection between leadership and citizenship. It argues that strong institutions depend on the values and actions of those managing them, while constitutional reforms alone cannot transform society without changes in citizens’ attitudes and responsibilities.
Bakare also questioned the role of religious institutions in addressing societal problems, arguing that faith communities should examine their own contributions to national challenges.
Adekanye said this willingness to scrutinise his own constituency strengthened Bakare’s broader criticism of political and institutional failures.
The third volume focuses on Bakare’s shift from criticism towards institution-building. It highlights initiatives such as the Citadel School of Government and its partnership with the University of Lagos Business School as efforts aimed at developing practical solutions to governance challenges.
According to Adekanye, the trilogy challenges Nigerians to decide whether they are willing to build the institutions needed to address the country’s problems.
“The diagnosis alone is not enough; one must become part of the remedy,” he said.
He added that the publication maintains a consistent message despite changing administrations, identifying Bakare’s combination of faith-based and empirical arguments, willingness to review his own positions and commitment to confronting political and institutional failures as key themes.
Bakare, who was the running mate to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 presidential election under the Congress for Progressive Change, said the books were intended to provide solutions rather than merely criticise those in power.
He urged leaders to govern with compassion and encouraged young Nigerians to create opportunities, contribute to national progress and remain committed to the country despite existing challenges.
The cleric maintained that Nigeria’s future would depend on citizens willing to make sacrifices for the nation.
Osoba, who chaired the event, described Bakare as a patriot whose interventions had consistently been motivated by national interest rather than personal ambition.
“When you see Bakare fighting for the nation, it is not for self,” Osoba said.
He added that Bakare’s relevance extended beyond criticism, noting that he had also offered alternatives to address national problems. He urged Nigerians who criticise President Bola Tinubu and other leaders to also present practical solutions.
“Bakare’s book is not just to criticise but to proffer solutions to the nation’s challenges,” Osoba said.
The senator representing Ogun West and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ogun State, Solomon Adeola, called on leaders to prioritise citizens’ welfare while urging Nigerians to strengthen their patriotism and national identity.
Bakare announced that copies of the publication would be donated to universities across the country, including the University of Lagos, where he studied law.
