During his sermon on Sunday, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, revealed how he cautioned against the “Emilokan” kind of politics.
The Yoruba saying “Emilokan,” which translates to “It’s my turn,” gained significant popularity following its utilisation by President Bola Tinubu during his pre-election campaign in 2023.
During a State of the Nation address in a church in Ikeja, Lagos, Bakare expressed his view that “emilokan” represents a proclivity towards authoritarianism.
During his speech themed ‘Vice, Virtue & Time: Three Things That Never Stand Still,’ the cleric said, “I’m reminded of the warning that I sounded to Nigerians in January 2023 in my address titled, ‘Bridging the gap between politics and governance.’
“I warned that the politics of entitlement; the ’emilokan’ type of politics would breed an imperium presidency, one that would slide towards dictatorship and would be intolerant of dissent.”
Bakare’s remarks pertained to the apprehension, confinement, and legal proceedings involving the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, as well as the custody of the former head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, by the Department of State Services.
The DSS arrested Emefiele in June, which according to the spokesperson of the security agency, Peter Afunanya, “was on the strength of suspected fresh criminal infractions/information, one of which forms the basis for his current prosecution.”
The application filed by Emefiele to suspend his trial by the Federal Government through the Department of State Services has been scheduled for a hearing on August 15th by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Reacting, Bakare said, “The actions of the DSS have raised concerns about professionalism and adherence to the rule of law. The reported invasion of the premises of the EFCC and the handling of the case of Emefiele have sparked discussions regarding the need for due process and equitable application of justice.
“The handling of the Emefiele case has sent a signal to the world and the current President’s disposition to the war against corruption.”
The preacher claimed that the current administration’s fight against corruption amounted to making some people the scapegoats because they were “political adversaries while various other major enemies of Nigeria remain untouched.”
The suspended CBN governor may have made a poor decision when managing the nation’s monetary affairs, but he shouldn’t be used as a scapegoat because he was unable to act without the president’s consent, the official said, adding that Emefiele should be prosecuted if proven guilty.
