Popular Nigerian pastor and politician, Tunde Bakare, has disclosed that he was accused of being a traitor for running on a Muslim ticket.
Speaking on his controversial decision to run alongside former president Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 election, Bakare stated that it was not an act of betrayal but a deliberate move to demonstrate that Christians can and should take up leadership roles.
He stated this during an appearance on Channels Television. The clergyman urged Christians to participate in politics, maintaining that disengagement from public leadership has weakened the country’s moral and political structure.
He said, “People called me a traitor for running on a Muslim-Muslim ticket. But that’s because they don’t understand the priesthood of Jesus Christ. We are made kings and priests, and kings operate in governance.”
He added that Jesus called believers the salt of the earth and light of the world, meaning they are meant to shape society and not remain idle in political matters.
“If we remain in our churches and fail to engage the world, how do we change anything? If we do not maintain contact without contamination, we will never influence what’s happening,” he added.
Bakare said his involvement in the 2011 election paved the way for greater Christian participation in politics, including the emergence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He stressed that Christians cannot expect transformation in society if they keep sitting on the sidelines.
Quoting political philosopher Edmund Burke, Bakare said, “Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.”