Why I accepted to be Buhari’s running mate – Pastor Tunde Bakare

General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has given reasons he filed out as Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate under the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC.

He made the revelation during his Independence Day speech at the headquarters of his church in Lagos.

In a very long speech, the vocal preacher said he accepted to run with Buhari because of his (Buhari’s) views on restructuring of the country, which according to him, was positive.

He also said it was for this reason, Buhari received support from well meaning Nigerians to be Nigeria’s president.

He said, “As part of a series of dialogues, in a bid to seek the best of the North and the best of the South as an alternative to the then incumbent administration, we also engaged the major candidates ahead of the 2011 elections in search of commitment to the restructuring of the nation, among other desirables.

“General Muhammadu Buhari stood out among the available contenders and, on October 10, 2010, we expressed our conviction that he was best suited to lead.

“On January 15, 2011, I was invited by General Buhari to be his running mate and I initially declined because I had engaged the polity not with the intention to contest elections but to midwife genuine national rebirth.

“My eventual acceptance was contingent on the mutual understanding that the restructuring of Nigeria would be top on the agenda.

“This was reflected prominently in the manifesto of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in which we promised the initiation of ‘action to amend our Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to states and local governments in order to entrench Federalism and the Federal spirit[3].’

“This provision subsequently made its way into the APC manifesto.”