Pastor Tunde Bakare, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), has refuted claims that late former President Muhammadu Buhari was a religious bigot, saying he was far from being one.
Speaking during a Channels Television interview, Bakare said that those who believed Buhari was intolerant of other religions simply misunderstood him.
Bakare, who was Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), said he had close personal interactions with the former leader and was surprised by what he saw.
“I thought he was a religious fundamentalist until I came close,” Bakare said. “After our campaign flag-off in Kaduna, we returned to his house. He staggered a bit and the first thing he said was ‘Jesus Christ of Nazareth’. I asked him why, and he replied, ‘You do not have the monopoly of Jesus Christ—I’m thanking God.’”
Bakare also noted that many of Buhari’s close domestic staff were Christians. “His bodyguards were Christians, and even his driver of 10 years was a Christian who once asked me to pray with him,” he added.
Buhari, who died on Sunday in a London hospital while undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness, is expected to be buried on Tuesday in Daura, his hometown in Katsina State.
The former President had faced criticism over the years for alleged religious bias, especially during his time in office, but Bakare’s comments challenge that perception, highlighting personal experiences that painted a different picture.
Bakare concluded by saying Buhari’s actions showed tolerance and that many assumptions about him were unfounded.