Pastor Tunde Bakare, founder, The Citadel Global Community Church, on Monday said there is no going back on his plan to vie for the 2023 presidency.

Bakare had said in September 2019 that he would be crowned the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Take it to the mountain top if you have never heard it before. I am saying it to you this morning, in the scheme of things, as far as politics of Nigeria is concerned, President Buhari is number 15 and yours sincerely is number 16. I never said that to you before, I want to let you know it this morning; nothing can change it, in the name of Jesus. He (Buhari) is number 15; I am number 16,”  Pastor Bakare said while placing his right hand on his chest.

“To this end was I born and for this purpose came I into the world. I have prepared for this for 30 years. When he (Buhari) chose to run in 2019, he is still number 15, when he steps out, I step in,” he had said last year.

However, in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, Bakare was asked by one of the hosts, Dr. Reuben Abati whether he still stand by what he said last year.

He said he would offer himself for service and that the choice is left for Nigerians to accept him or not.

Bakare did not sound so confident like he did last year when he said he would be the 16 president of Nigeria.

“Every Nigerian citizen who has aspiration to add value to this country is at liberty so to do. It is my fundamental right to run if I choose to and it is my mental right to desist from running, but let me tell you this, I mean every word that I spoke, I cannot just fold my hand and say let it continue.

“I am a citizen of his county and I intend to contribute my quota, but let me say this to you, it is not a matter of life and death. If we have right people in power, I will support them and if I offer myself and people support me, so be it,” he said.

According to Bakare, “I am not taking that word back, I have something to offer my country, but it is all left for my country to say we want you; I cannot impose myself on them.

“And I challenge every right thinking patriot to rise up and let us join hands to fix our nation and if God so designed it that I be the 16th president, well Reuben Abati, I will consult you also as one who has something to offer in terms of media and in terms of spokemanship that you have done before so that we can have accurate speech for accurate moment.”

By Kazeem Ugbodaga