Report reaching The New Diplomat indicate that fiery Lagos Cleric and Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church in Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare, and a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, have resolved their differences occasioned by a sermon delivered by the former wherein he heaped praises and eulogies on a former Governor of Lagos State, and one of the national leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The fiery Lagos Pastor had in a sermon showered praises on Tinubu, describing him as a hero of Yoruba nation who has done so much for the progress of the Yoruba nation. He also lampooned critics of Tinubu.
He had said, “I have a word for those Yoruba rancorous elements, noisemakers that have not achieved as much as Asiwaju Tinubu has achieved, but are always querying and worrying themselves about his ancestry.
“Those who are envious of Mr. Tinubu and those who desire to take his power slot should stop their useless talk about him, and busy themselves with what can add value to society.”
However, in a swift reaction, Chief Fani-Kayode, in a telling and stirring post entitled, ‘Who is Squeezing Bakare’s Balls?’, accused Bakare of being dishonest, dishonorable and making undignifying statements.
According to the former Minister of Aviation as well as that of Culture and Tourism the Lagos Pastor was likely being blackmailed by Tinubu’s loyalists over a subject matter dating back to 1990. Fani-Kayode also said Tunde Bakare’s statement was opportunistic, and sycophantic.
Fani-Kayode wrote: “On 28th October 2019, Pastor Tunde Bakare said the following, “Tinubu will give account for all his deeds. He should not be seen as a generous man, he is an integral part of the rot in Nigeria”.
He added: “This is a robust condemnation of a man that has been variously described as the ‘Lion of Bourdillon’, the ‘Jagaban of Borgu’ and the ‘Asiwaju of Iragbiji’ and the words reflect the utter contempt that Bakare has for him.
“Curiously, just one year and two months later, on 20th December 2020, the same Tunde Bakare changed the music and said the following about the same man. He said,
“People should see Tinubu as a Yoruba hero, he shouldn’t be vilified. Like Jephthah the Gileadite, he has fought many battles on behalf of the Yoruba people and won despite his rough beginning and God does not need anybody’s permission to put such in his hall of fame despite their past deeds and ancestry.”
In his reaction, Bakare said he would hold his peace for now for the sake of “Femi’s mother…” Pastor Tunde Bakare who plucked up courage and challenged the former Aviation minister, Chief Fani-Kayode to proceed ahead with the publication of any unsavoury and unpleasant information at his (Fani-Kayode) disposal about him (Tunde Bakare) accused Fani-Kayode of publishing unsubstantiated tales.
Tunde Bakare who was reacting to Fani-Kayode’s post, questioning his allged sudden endorsement of Tinubu, a move the former minister said ran in clear contrast with what the same fiery Pastor said of Tinubu in December 2019, had denounced Fani-Kayode’s allegations.
In a statement channeled through Mr Yinka Odumakin, Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, a fervid Pastor Bakare, debunked the allegations and gave Fani-Kayode time to proceed to publish any distasteful claims about him as a pastor or in the past.
He wrote: “I have only one appeal to make through you to him: Tell him to expose my supposed “ugly past of 1990″ he must know about and the shady deals involving some bank that just changed hands that involved me in any shape or manner.”
“If Femi does not do so as soon as possible then he has published deliberate falsehood about me. I will await this publication soonest.”
Curiously, Chief Fani-Kayode said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that they have both resolved their lingering differences over the sermon about Tinubu.
Fani-Kayode expressed appreciation and gratitude to Ovation Magazine Publisher, Chief Dele Momodu, and the spokesman for the Yoruba Summit Group, Gboyega Adejumo, for making the settlement of their differences possible.
“I just concluded a three-way conversation with Pastor Tunde Bakare and Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, spokesman of the Yoruba Summit Group.
“We clarified all issues and put the matter behind us. My respect for Pastor Bakare remains high. I thank Mogaji and Chief Dele Momodu for their intervention., Fani-Kayode posted.
