Pastor Tunde Bakare, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, remarked during a State of the Nation Broadcast titled “Vice, Virtue & Time: Three Things That Never Stand Still,” delivered in Ikeja, Lagos, that the results of the 2023 elections indicate Nigerians’ weariness with the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bakare, who is both a cleric and a politician and had participated in the APC’s 2022 presidential primary, expressed his belief that the ruling party has strayed from its original founding principles.
The cleric said, “At this juncture, I must also sound a warning to the APC. I was there when the APC was formed and the extent of my involvement is well documented.
“As a stakeholder and more importantly as a nation builder, I’m more obligated to state without equivocation that this is not the APC we envisaged. The results of the last elections were clear indications that Nigerians are fed up with what the APC had become.”
Bakare pointed out that the decrease in the number of votes garnered by the APC in the 2023 presidential election compared to its performance in 2015 and 2019 serves as an indicator of a shrinking support base for the party.
“If it were not for the divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party and the emergence of the Obidient movement of the Labour Party that split the traditional support base of the PDP;
“…the APC would have convincingly lost the 2023 elections. Even now, the party’s victory as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission is being challenged in court,” he said.
As per Bakare’s assessment, the APC has transformed into a platform accommodating politicians lacking a clear ideology, who shift from one party to another solely in pursuit of power, regardless of the means.
He said, “The APC stood for progressivism characterised by substantial positive investment in social sectors such as education and healthcare and it achieved inclusiveness and social mobility.”
The clergyman observed that this shift has occurred due to the ongoing economic hardships faced by many Nigerians, which he attributed to the government’s implementation of “anti-people policies.”
Recalling the February 2023 presidential election, President Bola Tinubu emerged as the winner with 8,794,726 votes, declared by INEC. He surpassed his closest contender, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, who secured 6,984,520 votes to secure the second position. Obi from the Labour Party secured the third spot with 6,101,533 votes.
However, it’s important to note that the PDP and the LP are currently contesting the election results at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
………….
Note : To submit Press Releases, Statements, and Advert Inquiries for publication on Waffi blog (website) or Television 📺, please use the following contact details: You can send an email to info@waffitv.com or reach us via Whatsapp at 07068286500
