There are few figures in Nigerian public life who occupy as many rooms simultaneously as Dr. Babatunde Gbolahan Bakare - pastor, prophet, lawyer, author, civil activist, political combatant, and governance reformer. A man who began life in a polygamous Muslim household in Abeokuta and ended up as the founding Serving Overseer of one of Nigeria’s most intellectually formidable churches, the vice-presidential candidate in a landmark election, and the convener of a civil society movement that helped reshape the country’s democratic culture. He is, by any measure, one of the most consequential Nigerian figures of the past forty years.
|**Full Name** |Babatunde Gbolahan Bakare
|**Place of Birth** |Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria |
|**Tribe/Ethnicity** |Yoruba (Egba) |
|**Conversion to Christianity - 24 September 1974 |
|**Profession** |Pastor, Lawyer, Author, Activist, Politician |
|**Church** |The Citadel Global Community Church (formerly Latter Rain Assembly), Lagos |
|**Church Founded** |1 April 1989 |
|**Spouse** |Pastor Olayide Bakare (“Mrs. B”) — married November 24, 1984 |
|**Children** |Five (two daughters, three sons) |
|**Degrees** |LLB, University of Lagos (1980); Doctor of Ministry (honoris causa), Indiana Christian University (1996); LLD (honoris causa), Afe Babalola University (2024)|
|**Political Involvement** |Vice-presidential candidate, 2011; APC Presidential Primary contestant, 2022 |
|**Website - (http://tundebakare.com) |
-A Boy Born into Two Worlds
Pastor Tunde Bakare was born on 11th of November 1954 to a polygamous Muslim family at Iporo Sodeke in Abeokuta. He never met his father, who died when he was only two years old. He was brought up by his mother, Abigail Ebudola Bakare.
Life in that household was not comfortable — in fact, it was tough to the point where survival itself was something to think about daily. His mother played a major role in shaping his life, raising him with structure, teaching him how to manage money early and to live with integrity. That foundation later showed clearly in how he handles both ministry and public life.
In a 2014 interview, Bakare recalled that he washed clothes and fetched firewood in order to fund his education — a detail that places his later accomplishments in sharp relief. The man who would one day address presidents did not come from comfort. He came from necessity.
During his school years, he was deeply involved in Islamic activities and even served as an Imam while in secondary school. At that stage, nothing pointed to him becoming a Christian pastor.
Education
He completed his early education at All Saints Primary School, Kemta, Abeokuta, between 1961 and 1966, and attended Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, from 1969 to 1973. He completed his secondary education at Zumratul Islamiyyah Grammar School in Yaba, Lagos, in 1974.
Following a brief period working at First Bank, he studied law at the University of Lagos between 1977 and 1980, where he also served as a member of the University of Lagos Students’ Union (ULSU). He graduated in 1980 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981, completing his mandatory NYSC primary assignment at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
Even as a law student, his instinct for public advocacy was already evident. In 1978, he was invited by the National Council of Women’s Societies to present a public lecture titled “The Legal Rights of the Nigerian Child.” He also served as the General Secretary of the Dyna Club, the youth wing of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria.
The Encounter That Changed Everything: September 24, 1974
According to official records of his church, God showed Tunde Bakare in 1964 — on the night of his circumcision — a glimpse of his future, which manifested in a dream from which he woke up in a pool of his own blood. That dream lay dormant for a decade.
Then came the moment itself. Everything shifted in 1974. While working as a photographer in a church, he had a personal encounter that led to him becoming born again. In September 1974, while in a Baptist Church to take the photograph of a friend being baptised, a pillar of light like the one he saw in his vision ten years earlier was replayed inside the church. It was so dramatic he could not hold back.
He became born again on September 24, 1974, after a unique encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Muslim Imam from Abeokuta became a Christian and from that day, nothing about his trajectory was ever ordinary again.
Legal Career: From Gani Fawehinmi to El-Shaddai Chambers
Pastor Tunde Bakare began his legal career practising with Gani Fawehinmi Chambers and Rotimi Williams & Co. Prior to his call to the bar, he had assisted Chief Gani Fawehinmi in compiling the foundational editions of the Nigerian Constitutional Law Reports. These were not merely prestigious placements — they were formative. Fawehinmi was Nigeria’s most celebrated human rights lawyer; to work with him was to be schooled in the intersection of law, conscience, and public courage. That lesson never left Tunde Bakare.
Following a period at Burke & Co. Solicitors, Bakare established his own law firm, Tunde Bakare & Co. (El-Shaddai Chambers), in October 1984. By the time he left private practice, he had built a successful firm and a distinguished reputation. But something else was pulling at him.
Into Ministry: Deeper Life, RCCG, and the Birth of Latter Rain
In May 1988, at the peak of his legal career, Bakare was called into ministry. He had served as a legal adviser at the Deeper Life Bible Church, utilising his legal expertise to support the church’s administrative needs. He later moved to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, where he pioneered the first Model Parish - a parish designed to serve professionals and intellectuals, a concept that foreshadowed the kind of church he would eventually build himself.
Then, on 1st April 1989, he founded The Latter Rain Assembly (End-Time Church), now known as The Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), and currently serves as the Serving Overseer of the church. That beginning was very humble — nothing flashy, just pure conviction. Over time, the church grew and rebranded, and today it has become a global platform with a strong focus on teaching, leadership, and national transformation.
The Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC)
What began in 1989 as The Latter Rain Assembly has grown into one of the most intellectually distinctive churches in Nigeria’s Pentecostal landscape. The Citadel Global Community Church — headquartered in Lagos and with an active online presence and international congregation — is characterised by its emphasis on prophetic preaching, governance accountability, biblical scholarship, and national transformation theology.
Bakare presides over the Global Apostolic Impact Network (GAIN) — a network of churches, ministries, and kingdom businesses committed to advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. He also serves as President of Latter Rain Ministries, Inc. (Church Development Center) in Atlanta, Georgia, a ministry committed to restoring today’s church to the scriptural pattern. He hosts the globally syndicated television ministry programme, *Moment of Truth*.
Under his leadership, the church has grown into a dynamic institution committed to spiritual growth, community development, and national transformation. His deputy serving overseer is his wife, Pastor Olayide Bakare — fondly called “Authentic Mrs. B” by the church community — who has been his partner in both life and ministry since 1984.
Prophetic Ministry and Fulfilled Prophecies
Tunde Bakare is one of the most cited prophetic voices in modern Nigerian Christianity — a man whose predictions on political events have frequently proved accurate, giving him a credibility in prophetic ministry that transcends denominational affiliation.
When M.K.O. Abiola contested the 1993 presidential election, Bakare advised against it, prophesying that “he might not come out alive.” Abiola died in detention. In April 1993, Bakare predicted that neither the Social Democratic Party (SDP) nor the National Republican Convention (NRC) would attain political power — and less than two weeks after the June 12 presidential election, General Ibrahim Babangida cancelled the results. Bakare also prophesied that Babangida would “make mistakes that would make him go” on or before August 27, 1993. Babangida stepped aside. When Ernest Shonekan’s Interim National Government came to power, Bakare described it as a mere stopover. Shonekan resigned compulsorily.
In 1998, Bakare went to Kano and at the Conference of Prophetic and Apostolic Churches prophesied that the city should expect the corpse of another Head of State — Murtala Muhammed had been the first. Abacha died on 8 June that year.
These were not casual statements. They were delivered publicly, before audiences, on record — and they came to pass.
Institutions and Philanthropy
**Family Heritage Foundation**
As part of his endeavour to give back to humanity, Bakare established The Family Heritage Foundation, which gives scholarships to underprivileged students from all walks of life within Nigeria and beyond.
**International Centre for Reconstruction and Development (ICRD)**
In 2007, Bakare founded the International Centre for Reconstruction and Development (ICRD), a public policy think-tank focused on socio-political reforms across African states. The ICRD represents his conviction that the church cannot be indifferent to how the country is governed — and that Christian leaders have a responsibility to propose solutions, not merely identify problems.
**Citadel School of Government (CSG)**
In June 2025, Bakare founded the Citadel School of Government (CSG), an independent African-centric governance academy created to develop ethical public sector leaders. Serving as Board Chairman, he signed a formal partnership with the University of Lagos Business School to offer joint academic tracks, including an Advanced Diploma in Public Leadership and Statecraft, introducing tuition subsidies to widen programme accessibility.
At the maiden edition of the Citadel Annual Lecture, held in honour of his 70th birthday at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Victoria Island, Lagos, he stated: “The Citadel Global Community Church needs to invest in the quality of people in our local government.” His position was that Nigeria’s problems were not with its laws, but with the people occupying the corridors of power — and that the church had a role in producing better people for those corridors.
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### Civil Advocacy: The Save Nigeria Group and National Conference
In 2010, amid national constitutional concerns regarding executive transitions, Bakare convened the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), a coalition of pro-democracy groups that led large-scale public demonstrations advocating for constitutional transparency. For his leadership during the civic actions, he was named the 2010 “Man of the Year” by *Newswatch* magazine.
In 2014, he served as a South West delegate to Nigeria’s National Conference, where he proposed *The Nigerian Charter for National Reconciliation and Integration* — a policy document that was adopted into the conference’s final report.
During the political alignments preceding the 2015 general elections, Bakare played an internal role in the 2013 merger that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), moving the formal motion for merger at Eagle Square, Abuja, on behalf of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
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### Politics: The 2011 Vice-Presidential Run and “Project 16”
Dr. Tunde Bakare was General Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in Nigeria’s 2011 Presidential Election on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). The pairing was unusual — a firebrand pastor and a former military head of state — but it was a candidacy that cemented Bakare’s place in Nigeria’s political consciousness permanently.
Then, in September 2019, in what became one of the most discussed pulpit statements in Nigerian church history, Bakare told his congregation: “I will succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria; nothing can change it. I am number 16, and Buhari is number 15. I never said it to you before. I am saying it now, and nothing can change it. In the name of Jesus, he is number 15. I am number 16. To this end I was born, and for this purpose I came into the world. I have prepared you for this for more than 30 years.”
He declared his candidacy on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in May 2022, running on a four-pillar manifesto focused on Peace, Progress, Prosperity, and a fourth pillar — contesting in the APC presidential primaries that year. Though he did not secure the APC ticket, he has remained a fixture in national discourse on governance, security, and leadership ethics.
Academic Honours and Recognition
In recognition of his years of exploits and global impact in ministry, Bakare was honoured with a Doctor of Ministry degree by Indiana Christian University at the instance of his spiritual father and mentor, Dr. Lester Sumrall, in 1996.
In October 2024, Bakare was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD, Honoris Causa) by Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), in recognition of his contributions to public sector institutional reform and nation-building. He is addressed publicly as Dr. Tunde Bakare in recognition of both honours.
Marriage, Family, and the Woman He Calls “Mrs. B”
Bakare got married to Mrs. Olayide Bakare in 1984, and their union is blessed with five children - two females and three males. His wife, whom he fondly calls *Mrs. B*, has been far more than a supportive spouse — she serves as the Deputy Serving Overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church and has been a steadfast supporter of his ministry and career. The couple has been married for over forty years with no public record of other relationships.
Their five children have all launched into adult life: their first son,
Pastor Olusegun Bakare, who used to serve as the church’s communications and media director, is now a Pastor; their second son is an information technology expert based in London; their third son studied political studies; their first daughter, Olubunmi Bakare, is an Africanist with a focus on African cultures and history, aspiring to be a lecturer; and their second daughter is an interior architect with a master’s degree.
Faith, Convictions, and the Bakare Philosophy
No biography of Dr. Tunde Bakare is complete without the convictions he has stated publicly and consistently over four decades:
**His persuasion:** *“I’m fully persuaded that I will live long in health, having long life with wealth — for the purpose for which He created me, to be a blessing to humanity.”*
**His conviction:** *“God will not justify the wicked; He will not forsake the righteous. The wickedness of a wicked man will fall upon his head, and the righteousness of a righteous man will answer for him in the days to come.”*
**His passion:** To see the true perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ given to people without contamination or mixture — and to see a Nigeria that works in his lifetime.
**His legacy:** *“The grace to pray through.”* Remarkably, he has shared that as a young Christian, he had no particular flair for prayer. It was, by his own account, the circumstances of his marriage — as orchestrated by God — that taught him not only how to pray, but how to pray through.
**His secret:** Obedience — and only obedience — to the word and instructions of God, even when everything external works contrary to that word.
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#mDr. Tunde Bakare is active on social media. You can connect with him via his official handles on Facebook
- **Website:** [tundebakare.com](http://tundebakare.com)
- **Church Website:** [thecitadelglobal.org](https://thecitadelglobal.org)
- **Church Instagram:** [@thecitadelgcc](https://www.instagram.com/thecitadelgcc)
- **Church Facebook:** [The Citadel Global Community Church](https://www.facebook.com/TheCitadelGCC)
- **TV Programme:** *Moment of Truth* (globally syndicated)
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Dr. Tunde Bakare is a Nigerian Prophetic-Apostolic pastor and the President of Latter Rain Ministries, Inc. He has received national and international attention for his televangelism, which has sometimes been critical of the Nigerian government. Personal Life Tunde Bakare was born in Abeokuta (Ogun State, Nigeria) on November 11, 1954. He attended All Saints Primary School, Kemta, Abeokuta and subsequently Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, after which he studied law at the University of Lagos between 1977 and 1980. He was called to the Bar in 1981 and following his NYSC, he practiced law with Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, Rotimi Williams & Co and Burke & Co, Solicitors. He established his own law firm Tunde Bakare & Co (El-Shaddai Chambers) in October 1984. In May 1988, at the peak of his legal career he was called into ministry and he founded The Latter Rain Assembly (End-Time Church) on April 1, 1989 and is currently the Serving Overseer of the church. Nigeria Church Leaders And Their Years In Ministry Pastor (Dr.) Tunde Bakare was born to a Muslim mother and a Muslim father, whom he did not grow up to know. His mother, Madam Abigail Eebudola Bakare raised him. Married to Mrs. Olayide Bakare in 1984, Pastor Bakare’s marriage has played a pivotal role in his life, career and ministry. “Mrs. B”, as she is affectionately called by her husband, has been involved in ministry work all her adult life. Pastor and Mrs. Bakare have raised two girls and three boys in their over thirty years of marriage.
Ministry Dr. Tunde Bakare became born again on September 24, 1974 after a unique encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. He was formerly a pastor at the Deeper Life Bible Church before he left to join the Redeemed Christian Church of God which he soon left to start his own. Books& Literature Iraqi Pastor Miraculously Survives Car Bomb Without A Scratch He presides over Global Apostolic Impact Network (GAIN) – a network of churches, ministries and kingdom businesses committed to advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. Dr. Bakare is also the President of Latter Rain Ministries, Inc. (Church Development Center) in Atlanta, GA, USA, a ministry committed to restoring today’s church to the scriptural pattern. In recognition of his years of exploits and global impact in ministry, he was honoured with a Doctor of Ministry degree by the Indiana Christian University under the leadership of his mentor, Dr. Lester Sumrall in 1996. As part of his endeavour to give back to humanity, Bakare established The Family Heritage Foundation that gives scholarship to less privileged students from all walks of life within and outside the country. In 2007, he established the International Centre for Reconstruction and Development (ICRD); a knowledge industry/think-tank devoted to re-engineering the social, economic and political landscape of Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. I Was Disowned By Parents For Leaving Jehovah Witness To Christianity Dr. ‘Tunde Bakare is the Convener of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG); a coalition of pro-democracy groups and individuals with a clear mandate to promote political knowledge and participation of the Nigerian citizens through strategic activities. After decades of speaking truth to power and standing on the side of the oppressed, Dr. Bakare has extended the frontiers of his political involvement in a bid to Save Nigeria, to Change Nigeria and to Make Nigeria Great again. Convictions: His persuasion: “I’m fully persuaded that I will live long in health; having long life in health, with wealth for the purpose for which He created me to be a blessing to humanity”. This persuasion invariably affects and informs his thought patterns, decision making process and choices in life. His conviction: “God will not justify the wicked, He will not forsake the righteous; the wickedness of a wicked man will fall upon his head and the righteousness of a righteous man will answer for him in the days to come”. List Of All Nigerian Pastors And Their Churches “The minority that is right will become the majority and the majority that is wrong will become the minority, it’s just a matter of time”.
His passion: “To see that the true perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ is given to people without any contamination or mixture” and “To see a Nigeria that works in his lifetime”. Christian& Gospel Music His Legacy: “My legacy? The grace to pray through”. Surprisingly, Pastor Bakare initially as a young Christian did not have a flare or desire to pray, but according to him, circumstances in his marriage as orchestrated by God taught him not only how to pray but also how to pray through. Watch Latter Rain Assembly LIVE SUNDAY SERVICE Secret of his success: Obedience only to the word and instructions of God. Sandwiched between his willingness and desire to do the will of God is obedience even when all things are working contrary to the word of God.
Born on, Pastor Tunde Bakare is the founder and Senior Pastor of the Citadel Global Community CHurch which was formerly known as the Latter Rain Assembly.
The Citadel Legacy Youth Fellowship, the youth church of the ministry
Pastor Tunde Bakare is happily married to his heartthrob, Pastor Bakare and together, they're carrying on the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Books by Pastor Runde Bakare
Pastor Tunde has published the following books to the glory of God and for the edification of the body of Christ
- The Last, But definitely not the Least - An Autobiography of Pastor Tunde Bakare
- Book Title 2
Pastor Tunde Bakare is active on social media. You can connect with him via his official handles on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X
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