Bakare slams political class, says Nigeria needed U.S pressure to act on insecurity

The Lead Pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, has accused Nigeria’s political class of neglecting the daily suffering of citizens and paying “little attention to the real work of governance,” describing it as “a stain on the Nigerian government” that external pressure was needed before officials responded to national issues.

He also faulted federal lawmakers for failing to address the worsening insecurity across the country.

Bakare made the remarks on Sunday during his State of the Nation Address in Lagos.

He criticised the National Assembly for what he described as its lack of initiative at a time of national crisis.

“It is a shame on our National Assembly that it took the United States Congress, not the representatives elected by Nigerians, to convene a hearing on the lived experiences of citizens suffering under insecurity,” he said.

“While those in Abuja were busy with politicking, posturing for relevance, and defecting from one political party to another in desperate manoeuvres to secure their seats ahead of the 2027 elections.”

Bakare also referenced recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, saying the president used “the most despicable language ever used by a world leader” to describe Nigeria as a “now-disgraced country.”

He said the government’s sudden “flurry of activity after Trump’s remarks” only highlighted its earlier indifference to citizens’ plight.

The cleric further accused Nigerian leaders of “burying their heads in the sand like ostriches,” claiming they remained “preoccupied with the politics of chaos” instead of delivering effective governance.