Prominent clerics Pastor Tunde Bakare and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah have issued stark warnings to President Bola Tinubu, condemning his administration’s handling of the economy and security, and cautioning that the country is edging dangerously close to mass unrest.
Delivering his Easter State-of-the-Nation address in Ikeja, Lagos, Pastor Bakare, a former presidential aspirant and overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, warned that Nigeria could face a popular uprising if urgent action isn’t taken to address growing insecurity and economic hardship.
He painted a bleak picture of a nation in distress, citing surging violence in Plateau, Benue, and Enugu states, worsening poverty, and a crumbling economy. Bakare called for an end to what he described as “motor park politics,” accusing President Tinubu of perpetuating a system of governance driven by cronyism and self-interest.
“At the centre of this political banditry is the motor park brand of politics nurtured by the old brigade, and now carried on by President Tinubu,” he said. “What we are witnessing is a descent into tyranny and the brazen abuse of power.”
Bakare lamented that the fuel subsidy removal, naira devaluation, and soaring inflation have pushed millions to the brink. He referenced stampede deaths at food charity events in late 2024, including the tragic deaths of over 35 children in Ibadan, as evidence of a population in desperation.
Despite marginal improvements—such as a drop in headline inflation to 23.18% in February and an increase in foreign reserves from $35 billion to $40 billion between May 2023 and November 2024—Bakare insisted these gains are eclipsed by the deepening crisis. He cited the Financial Times’ criticism of Tinubu’s economic policies, warning that the cost-of-living crisis is the worst in a generation.
“In this climate of despair, prayers have become rituals, and people’s patience is waning,” Bakare said. “If concrete steps are not taken, the rage of the poor could explode into mass revolt.”
He criticized the National Assembly for becoming an extension of the executive arm, describing it as the “48th member of Tinubu’s cabinet” and accusing lawmakers of rubber-stamping presidential decisions. He also slammed the President for allegedly enabling a minister to act like a “third-term governor” in Rivers State.
“Mr. President, please stop playing God. Nigeria is too delicate for this kind of politics,” Bakare declared.
The cleric urged Tinubu to overhaul his cabinet, sack underperforming aides, and embrace a new leadership model built on competence and integrity. His proposed reforms included creating a diaspora-led development fund, a new economic relief program for the poor, restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture, and fostering national unity through justice and reconciliation.
Echoing Bakare’s concerns, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto issued his own blistering critique of the administration in his Easter Vigil homily.
In a message heavy with biblical metaphor, Kukah compared Nigeria’s suffering to Christ’s crucifixion, pleading with the President to “bring Nigerians down from the cross of pain, brutality, and hopelessness.”
“Mr. President, the nation is gradually becoming a huge national morgue,” Kukah warned. “You did not erect this cross, but it is now your duty to bring us down from it.”
He pointed to the surge in kidnappings, growing food insecurity, and economic hardship as signs of a nation in crisis, blaming political actors for weaponizing violence for electoral gains.
Kukah urged the Tinubu administration to prioritize food security and tackle insecurity with sincerity and urgency, asking, “Are Nigerians lambs being sacrificed to an unknown god?”
Both Bakare and Kukah emphasized that while Tinubu may not have created many of Nigeria’s longstanding problems, he now bears full responsibility for leading the country out of them. Their messages reflect a growing chorus of concern among religious and civil leaders that Nigeria is approaching a tipping point—and that only decisive, compassionate leadership can avert further tragedy.
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