The controversial pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, has exposed how the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, utilised funds looted from Alpha Beta to secure the elections of some South-West governors.
In an interview with ThisDay, Pastor Bakare spoke of how “remarkable” Tinubu used the looted Alpha Beta funds and other resources in “capturing the whole of South-West” region and installed governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and former governors Ibikunle Amosun and Rauf Aregbesola, including the late governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state.
“You see, there are some things that Tinubu has done. How he fought PDP from capturing the whole of Southwest is remarkable.
“And how he used whatever resources he was getting, either from Alpha Beta or any other source, to secure Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun and even Edo. Remarkable,” he said.
Pastor Bakare said Tinubu fell short of wrapping Ondo under his thumb because of his intervention as a man of God. “He didn’t get Ondo during Mimiko because I said if he came second in Ondo, then God has not called me and we walked the talk.
“We supported Mimiko in every way we could. I was there because I felt this widespread cancer was growing and a time is coming when he’ll become the only force to reckon with.
The clergyman said his opposition to Mr Tinubu in Ondo was because he feels “We must have an alternative platform in the southwest.”
Nigeria News: Nigeria will end if President Buhari declares bandits as terrorists – Sheikh Gumi
Mr Bakare who had in the past criticised Mr Tinubu and vowed that the former governor would repay every fund looted, in another instance lauded him.
While defending his earlier comments, Mr Bakare said “In every good person, there are bad sides and in every bad person, there are good sides.”
He admitted to haven “said everything that anybody could say about Tinubu,” explaining that leaders who also criticise the politician have also benefited from him.
“I began to see that the leaders who are making derogatory remarks about him, I’ve seen them also getting some support from him and not returning them.
“Almost everything he’d taken, he has also returned,” Mr Bakare added.
Alpha-beta, believed to be owned by Mr Tinubu, is a consulting firm that has an exclusive right to collect tax on behalf of Lagos. It’s in charge of the computation, tracking, and reconciliation of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state.
