Nigerian cleric and former presidential aspirant, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has declared that Nigeria is not a broken state but one fundamentally “designed to fail”, calling for a radical overhaul through what he described as a “revolution of values”.
Delivering a sermon on Sunday at The Citadel Global Community Church in Lagos, Bakare said the nation was at a crossroads, driven to the edge by a corrupt political architecture propped up by tribalism, injustice, and impunity.
“The system is not broken,” Bakare said. “It was designed to fail the people. And no amount of cosmetic reform will fix it. What Nigeria needs is a complete overhaul, a value revolution.”
In a message titled A Disgrace to Grace, the outspoken pastor denounced what he called the rewarding of criminality with public office, while voices of integrity are “sidelined or silenced”.
“This country is bleeding. It is governed by men who do not know justice, who are far from righteousness. A nation that celebrates looters and punishes truth-tellers cannot survive,” he warned.
While stressing that his call was not for violent insurrection, Bakare urged a “revolution of conscience” and a shift from self-serving politics to selfless leadership. He said only a “new breed of visionary, righteous, competent and just leaders” could redirect the country’s trajectory.
He also criticised the Church, accusing religious leaders of forsaking their prophetic responsibilities in exchange for proximity to political power. “How can we claim to represent Christ and yet remain silent in the face of wickedness?” he asked. “The Church must lead the value revolution.”
Bakare insisted that unless Nigeria undergoes a moral rebirth anchored in justice and equity, structural reforms or constitutional amendments would remain fruitless.
“The hour has come. The old order must give way to the new. We cannot build a great nation on a foundation of lies, greed and oppression. The soul of Nigeria is at stake,” he said.
