President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed the reason why he chose Tunde Bakare, founder of Latter Rain Assembly, as his running mate in 2011 presidential elections.
President Buhari with Speaker Katsina State House of Assembly, Alhaji Aliyu Sabiu, Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, Governor of Katsina, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, and Secretary to Katsina State Government, Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa
Speaking earlier today at the Kastina State Economic and Investment Summit shortly before departing to London, President Muhammadu Buhari, revealed that he chose Pastor Tunde Bakare, founder of Latter Rain Assembly, as his running mate in 2011 presidential campaign to prove wrong those who saw him as a religious bigot, adding that he made the move to make his critics 'shut up'.
"One of the four attempts to get here was with Tunde Bakare, when people said I’m a religious bigot, I decided to take a pastor so that I can shut their mouths up. So Tunde Bakare has decided to be with me all the time," Buhari said.
The president assured Nigerians of his commitment to fulfilling his campaign promises. "At the presidential primaries last year, I promised and I quote, 'I will bring all the resources to end poverty through ending corruption, ensure economic growth investing in our country and creating jobs', I hold myself to these promise," he said.
It can be recalled that Buhari took a shot at the presidency four times – 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 – before emerging victorious. He contested twice on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), once in the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), before moving to the All Progressives Congress (APC, where he made history as the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent president.