In a bold and unflinching critique of the current political landscape, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), has warned President Bola Tinubu against “playing God,” cautioning that the administration is leading Nigeria dangerously off course.
Bakare issued the admonition during his “State of the Nation” address delivered Sunday at the church’s auditorium in Ikeja, Lagos. The address, a tradition the cleric has used to speak truth to power for decades, called for a radical shift in leadership approach at the highest levels of government.
“I do not wish the President to fail,” Bakare clarified, “but I must speak plainly: this administration is steering the polity adrift. It is time to embrace humility. Stop playing God.”
While he emphasized that his message was not one of condemnation but correction, Bakare painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s current trajectory, warning that democratic institutions were weakening under the weight of executive overreach.
He described the National Assembly—meant to be a bastion of democratic balance—as “compromised,” particularly criticizing the recent suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Bakare said the senator’s call for accountability should have been met with dialogue, not disciplinary action.
“The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, owes Nigerians an explanation,” Bakare said. “What kind of democracy punishes lawmakers for seeking transparency?”
With his message echoing themes of moral responsibility, spiritual accountability, and civic duty, Bakare urged the President and his administration to recalibrate and lead with humility, not hubris.
“As a nation, we must ask ourselves: Are we being led toward progress or peril?” he said. “Now is the time for repentance, reform, and renewed purpose.”
