Tunde Bakare, founder of Citadel Global Community Church, says President Bola Tinubu has done his best for Nigeria, adding that it is up to the electorate to decide if he should be handed another term.

Bakare, who contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary against Tinubu and other aspirants in June 2022, said some of Tinubu’s reforms were imperative.

Speaking at Envoy Nation in Leicester on Sunday, the cleric said: “Nigerians have the right to change their leaders. They also have the right to affirm their leaders.

“It is up to them to decide what they want. As you lay your bed, so you will lie on it. Sometimes, the devil you know is better than the angel that is not tested yet. But I leave it to every man to do what he pleases.”

Bakare, however, questioned whether Tinubu’s experience and that of other politicians has been enough to address Nigeria’s perennial challenges.

He said the country needs leaders with the capacity to get things right from the outset.

Asked whether Nigeria would have been better off had he become the APC presidential candidate and won the 2023 election, Bakare said he would be cautious about making such a claim.

“I would be very careful with my words. I do not think Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is an uninitiated politician. He has been tried and tested. He is a man of experience,” he said.

“The difference that I emphasised in that campaign, especially at the Eagle Square primary of the APC is that we do not need men of experience anymore. Their experience has brought us into the disaster that we have found ourselves.

“You need geniuses who will do the first thing the first time and they will get it correct. For example, in the Bible, Joshua was fighting a battle and there was no precedent for what he said that day. He said ‘let this sun stand still and the moon stand still’. And the Bible says God answered his voice.”

Bakare urged the president to surround himself with people who would tell him the truth.

The cleric cautioned against dismissing all the policies introduced by the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the devaluation of the naira.

He said the president had to take some tough decisions, although his efforts may not have met the expectations of Nigerians.

“So, I won’t say if I had been the president it would not be like this because you don’t even know what awaits you until you get there,” he said.

“For me, Tinubu has tried his best. His best may not be good enough for Nigeria but that does not give right to any person to just rubbish what he did like the subsidy removal, naira devaluation and other reforms. There are some things he did alright and I hope he learns. If God feels his time is up, He will bring other people to power.”

Bakare also said he played a role in the political consultations that preceded the formation of the APC.

He recalled facilitating a meeting involving Tinubu, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the late Awujale of Ijebuland; Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos; and Rauf Aregbesola, former governor of Osun State.

The cleric said he later stepped away from active politics to concentrate on building Citadel Global Community Church, adding that he remains a card-carrying member of the APC.

He said he had told Tinubu that he is willing to contribute to national development through private consultations.

Teophilus Danjuma, former Minister of Defence, has endorsed the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu, saying his administration has been fair to Christians in appointments.

Danjuma spoke during the weekend at the 20th anniversary and fundraising ceremony of the Adamawa state government house chapel held in Yola.

He said electing Tinubu for another four years would give the administration ample time to complete what he described as meaningful projects.

Represented by Ishaya Bamaiyi, former chief of army staff, Danjuma said since the inception of his administration, Tinubu has exhibited fairness and tolerance by appointing several Christians to government positions.

He called on Nigerians, especially those in the middle belt, to support the president’s second term quest.

He maintained that the prospect of another northerner becoming president could unsettle the current geopolitical arrangement.

The retired general implored the movement to expand the Adamawa government house chapel, urging faithful to have the fear of God in their individual and collective undertakings to attract His guidance and blessings.

He pledged N250 million towards the fundraising ceremony to support the expansion of the chapel and ensure it stands the test of time.

The development follows a visit by the former minister and some leaders from the north-west and north-central to President Tinubu at the State House on Thursday, where they declared their support for his administration and readiness to strengthen his political base across their communities.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the visit, Yakubu Dogara, former speaker of the house of representatives, said the delegation was particularly encouraged by what he described as remarkable improvements in the country’s security situation.

He said the gains recorded under Tinubu have provided further justification for rallying support for his re-election.

The delegation included Caleb Mutfwang, governor of Plateau; Agbu Kefas, governor of Taraba; Chris Musa, minister of defence; and Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), among others.

Two British tourists have been found dead in Agadir, Morocco, and two other guests at the same hotel were rushed to hospital in a critical condition

The tragedy unfolded on Monday at an unnamed hotel in Agadir, a coastal city and popular resort destination for holidaymakers. At least two other guests were rushed to hospital.

Local media reports hotel staff found the dead bodies in a room and immediately alerted hotel management, who then alerted the police. The two other guests were said to be in a “critical condition” when they were taken by ambulance to the university hospital in Agadir.

Police forensics teams were sent to the hotel and examined the room, collecting samples and other evidence. The bodies were moved to the morgue at the Hassan II Regional Hospital in Agadir for autopsies.

Investigators also reportedly searched the hotel’s kitchen, roof and outbuildings.

Authorities are yet to reveal exactly what they believe to be the cause of the deaths. Some local reports mention food poisoning or a gas leak as possibilities under review.

The names of the guests involved have not been released.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said “We are aware of the deaths of two British nationals in Morocco. We are supporting their families and are in contact with the local authorities.”

It comes weeks after another Brit tourist died at a hotel in Agadir. Clare Mitchell, 31, from Bolton, jetted out from Manchester Airport for a four-day break on October 8.

Tragically, she was found dead in her hotel room the following day. Her devastated loved ones launched a fundraiser in order to have her flown back to the UK. It has now raised more than £5,800.

Her sister Angel Davies, 25, said she was a ‘diva in the nicest way’