Bakare: How Awujale brokered APC merger that made Buhari President

Pastor Tunde Bakare, the Presiding Overseer of the Global Community Citadel Church, has revealed the key role played by the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which eventually led to the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as President in 2015.

Speaking during his “State of the Nation” address on Sunday, themed “A Major Shift in the National Focus,” Bakare also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for honouring former President Buhari with a state burial. He paid tribute to both Buhari and the Awujale, who passed away on the same day, describing their deaths as symbolic and a sign of a national turning point.

According to Bakare, despite being a non-partisan traditional ruler, the Awujale played a pivotal role in brokering the merger that birthed the APC. He recounted how, on his advice, the monarch engaged Tinubu to lead the merger talks.

“Without Awujale’s pivotal intervention, APC would not have emerged as a political party,” Bakare stated.

He said Oba Adetona convened a critical meeting at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, where the foundation for the APC was laid. Though he remained neutral in politics, the monarch supported any initiative that promoted good governance, national unity, and peace, Bakare noted.

“Even at that, Kabiyesi was non-partisan, supporting any cause that would facilitate good governance, strengthen the national interest, and foster peace,” he added.

Bakare, who was Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), also praised Buhari’s tolerance and fairness, especially towards Christians and clergy in governance.

He revealed that Buhari insisted on retaining him as his running mate despite opposition, and that the former president broke barriers for Christian leaders to participate in politics.

Describing Buhari as one of the most tolerant and inclusive leaders he had encountered, Bakare said, “He twice opened the doorway for Christian leaders—pastors, specifically—to be involved in politics and governance.”

He added that the legacy left behind by both Buhari and Oba Adetona should inspire Nigerians to build a truly inclusive and united country.

“We must awake to the handwriting on the wall. Their legacy reads loud and clear – the giant of Africa cannot stand on one leg. We cannot build Nigeria as a one-party state. The strength of our democracy depends on the strength of both the ruling and opposition parties,” he said.

Bakare also commended Buhari’s contributions to political reforms, citing the Electoral Act, the Not Too Young To Run Act, and the Disability Act as part of the late president’s enduring legacy.

“Where we have been divided as a nation, let us remember the virtues of these men — their religious tolerance, patriotism, and commitment to national unity,” he concluded.