Pastor Tunde Bakare

Despite his many commitments, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential running mate in the 2011 general election, Pastor Tunde Bakare, does not deny himself of the much needed break whenever it is due. Thus, by swimming, praying, reading and hanging out with his family and friends, the pastor-turned politician relaxes, Anayo Okolie writes

From a humble beginning to national prominence, Tunde Bakare, a Pentecostal pastor-turned politician cum activist, has continued to attract as much relevance because of his aggressive televangelism. With a somewhat huge following, Bakare’s radical anti-establishment activism has never favoured any government, past and present; military or civilian.

General Overseer of The Later Rain Assembly, Bakare was born to a Muslim family but struggled through life’s many phases because of his Christian faith. Bakare strongly holds the belief that leaders with fear of God should be in the forefront of bringing about change, politically and economically for the development of the nation.

But in order to strike a balance between his political, religious and other variant commitments, Bakare indulges in activities that help him shake off stress. Whenever he is not playing politics, he spends time with his family. Bakare who was married to Mrs. Olayide in 1984, has five children- two girls and three boys. He was quick to add that the marriage has played a strong decisive role in his life and his Ministry.

Mrs. B as Bakare often calls his wife was said to have been involved in the work of the Ministry since the start of their lives together as a couple. As a co-pastor at Latter Rain Assembly and member, Board of Trustees of the Church, Mrs. Bakare is said to have contributed to the development of the Ministry and the life of her husband.

Apart from his family which takes priority, Bakare said: “I swim, I read, pray and I chill out with friends. I read in my study, in my bedroom or by the poolside. When with my family, we chill out at home, travel to my home town or sometime, travel out. But most of the time, at home.”

Bakare identified the situation in the society as what motivated his joining politics. According to him, “the bible says when the righteous and the authority of the people rejoice, when the wicked rule, they are gone. That is part of the reason I still go to Yaba Baptist Church where I was born to lecture through Christian participation in politics because we should be in the forefront of bringing change- political and economical for the development of our nation.

“Well, I am yet there, if I get there, we have all things stated and stipulated both in our party manifesto that I ran and in the new agenda that SNG put together. We know how to run the ship if given the opportunity,” he said. 

Bakare said his passion is to see that the true perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ is given to people without any contamination or mixture. “The minority that is right will become the majority and the majority that is wrong will become the minority, it’s just a matter of time,” he said adding that, “God will not justify the wicked; he will not forsake the righteous; the wickedness of a wicked man will fall upon his head and the righteousness of a righteous man will answer for him in the days to come.”