Tinubu, Akpabio Turning Nigeria into a Mafia State – Tunde Bakare

Tunde Bakare, Serving Overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church, has delivered a scathing critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, warning that Nigeria is on the verge of becoming a “mafia state.”

Speaking during his State of the Nation address on Sunday in Lagos, the fiery cleric urged President Tinubu to accept wise counsel and “stop playing God,” stressing the need for urgent and pragmatic interventions to rescue the nation from its deteriorating state.

Bakare condemned what he described as a steady descent into tyranny, institutional collapse, and widespread insecurity. He noted that killings and abductions are surging across the country, particularly in Plateau and Benue States.

“People of faith have prayed to the point of weariness, and any call for prayer now appears to be a mere religious ritual,” he said. “Some have concluded that unless certain pragmatic steps are taken with immediate effect, the rage of the poor may engineer social, economic, and political worst-case scenarios.”

He warned that continued inaction could lead to a breakdown of law and order, potentially drawing the country’s already stretched armed forces into domestic chaos.

Reflecting on a prayer session he led for the administration on January 12, 2025, Bakare said he offered “timely counsel” on how the government could navigate the growing crisis. However, he lamented that those in power “lack the humility and character this moment demands of leaders.”

“Instead, what we have seen since the beginning of the year is a descent into tyranny and the brazen abuse of power. Those entrusted with power appear determined to destabilise what is left of our political institutions,” he said.

He pointed to recent political actions—including the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State—as signs of democratic backsliding.

“It is clear that our so-called leaders are determined to turn Nigeria into a mafia state,” Bakare stated. “The two main contenders in this ongoing institutional immorality Olympics are the executive and the legislature.”

The cleric called for psychological evaluations for individuals seeking elective office and advocated for a nationwide emergency intervention strategy to stabilise the country.

Among his recommendations was the establishment of a non-oil-dependent “Fund”—formerly proposed during the COVID-19 pandemic—to drive structural reforms, industrialisation, and inclusive economic growth.

“This Fund rejects the logic that Nigeria must be trapped between the rock of loans or handouts and the hard place of a solely extractive economy,” Bakare explained.

The cleric urged the president and political leaders to confront Nigeria’s grim realities with honesty and courage, warning that the survival of the nation depends on it.