APC Campaign Council Tackles Pastor Tunde Bakare, Describes Him As Paperweight Politician Without Political Influence

The Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has taken a swipe at a former presidential aspirant of the party, Pastor Tunde Bakare, describing him as a political paperweight whose utterances should not be treated with any serious thought.

The party's Chieftain who is also the Presiding Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (formerly Latter Rain Assembly), was one of those who contested with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at last year’s APC National Convention.

Meanwhile, in his state-of-the-nation address on Sunday, the cleric urged Nigerians to shun those promoting ‘emilokan’, a term associated with Tinubu and which means “my turn” in Yoruba.

He added that no good politician seeking the votes of the people would evade public debates and also task his team members with the task of answering questions specifically directed at him.

However, tackling the cleric, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, the Director, Special Media Projects/New Media at the PCC, noted that, “Bakare got zero votes at the convention.”

Similarly, the Special Adviser, Media, Communications and Public Affairs at the PCC, Mr Dele Alake said the cleric is a political neophyte.

“This is a man who did a video in his church asking his members to vote for Tinubu, then the next day, he does the opposite. For us, that is not a serious issue.

“With due respect to him, he is a political paperweight, a political neophyte “, said Mr Alake.

Alake also dismissed allegations that the PCC now operates a militia headed by the National Youth Leader of the Party, Mr Dayo Israel.

He said the group refers to itself as “Jagaban Vanguard” and that they merely wear costumes and not the regalia of the military.

“In Nigeria, we like titles. We have musicians who bear General, Colonel or Commander. Do we now say they are impersonating the military”, he asked.