Fiery Lagos-based pastor, Tunde Bakare, has confirmed to Saharareporters that President Goodluck Jonathan proivede a $50, 000 cash bribe to a delegation of the Save Nigeria Group that visisted him last Monday, but that the group sent back the money.
Pastor Bakare’s confirmation came in the midst of a tepid denial of our earlier report by Tony Uranta, one of Mr. Jonathan's political operatives. Uranta had claimed on his Facebook page yesterday that Saharareporters misrepresented the crux of the meeting between the president and the Pastor Bakare-led delegation.
Specifically, Uranta denied that Jonathan discussed his ambition to run for office with the SNG delegation. He also stated that no money was offered to the SNG team and claimed that, contrary to our earlier report, the Bakare group had not asked him to return the bribe money to Jonathan.
But in a telephone interview with Saharareporters on Sunday evening, Pastor Bakare confirmed that the details of our earlier exclusive report were factual and unimpeachable.
Bakare, who has a reputation for speaking out fearlessly on current political issues, affirmed that the Minister of the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe, had offered the SNG delegation the sum of $50,000 on behalf of President Jonathan. The SNG had met with Jonathan to review his performance in office.
In the phone interview, Pastor Bakare stated categorically that his team was indeed offered money after it submitted a position paper on why it was opposed to the president's ambition to be re-elected. He confirmed that the cash was immediately returned to sender through Uranta, shortly after it was presented to the SNG delegation.
The SNG convener told Saharareporters that his team felt terribly embarrassed and offended by the orchestrated attempt by Jonathan and his team to buy the SNG’s support through illicit means.
An obviously angry Bakare said, “You can quote me. I don't do deals and I don't lie. Tony [Uranta] could be saving his own face. Tony lied that he didn't collect the money from us. There are living witnesses. Orubebe has confirmed to me that the money was returned. Mr. President is aware through Oronto Douglas that we returned his money through Tony.”
Bakare said he, Yinka Odumakin and other SNG officials went to the meeting with Jonathan with a written document that explained why the SNG would not support his candidacy.
“We submitted a document regarding the culture of impunity in which he (Jonathan) continues to swim," he said.
Source: Saharareporters
19 comments:
tunde bakare should take a cue from other "mute" men of God..u shouldn't say everything..he's more like an activist than a pastor.
How About Tunde Bakare and his group collecting the money, call a press conference with the money as evidence, then return the money back to whoever gave them.
He should stop ranting and proffer a solution to the myriad of problems facing us or give us a candidate to vote for. If he doesn't have any constructive thing to say, he should sit down and pastor his church.
BRAVO SIR!....always respected Pastor Tunde Bakare for his outspokenness & integrity..... GOD WOULD CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN & PROTECT YOU SIR, IJN..amin!
As for Tony, a lie is like a web that one gets tangled in, as one struggles to get out! SO YOU BERRA SAY THE TRUTH NOW & BE SET FREE!
As for GEJ......you don fall my hand yakata! ....smh
This is why your blog is markedly different from the other entertainment blogs on the internet. Because in the midst of all the fluff, you manage to insert some hard-hitting truth.
Keep on going Linda, it is people like you that will eventually save Nigeria. People that care.
I understand that Pastor TB cannot lie in this issue because he has nothing to gain by lying against Govt. na wa for this current Govt o!! When will Naija ever have thoroughly credible, Govt officials!! Prez Jones is no better than all the other military looters in civilian agbada, and the other selfish politicians!! Pssccheew!!!
GEJ will fight corruption indeed! He's Mr. Corruption himself!! Pastor Bakare says it as it is.
i knew this goodluck had nothing to offer. he's just trying to build this "mr. nice guy" image without actually doing anything. now he's trying to bribe poor people. nonsense. mmsscchheewww
Nigerian Film and TV Addict, i don't know how you can be advising people to keep mute. is it until there's a freaking war in the country? Or are you completely out of touch with everything besides Nollywood movies? I've never even heard of "mute" men of God.
@ nne...mute is in "inverted comma" so i'm sure many people know what inverted comma signifies. if u don't know what "mute" pastors r then good luck to u... tunde bakare is into politics and activism, i dunno if that is what he's supposed to be doing...he's always in the news talking more about govt. than his church and religion that's all i'm saying.
i think we should get something rigth here, pastor tb is human like u and me, he didn't come up with any concrete evidence to back up his alegation against mr president.just like somebody said b4, he should have collected that money and use it as evidence.this is a serious issue, we need convincing evidence!!!!
why keep saying alot to GOODLUCK, IF THIS WERE THE BLOODY DAYS OF IBB OR ABACHA, WOULD YOU HAVE OPENED A TEETH TALK LESS OF UR ENTIRE MOUTH??? JUST BECOS HE'S quite shouldn't be taken for granted! these fearful yorubas never said a hoot when IBB or ABACHA brided them, infact they were literally licking these illiterates' asses ! now it's Goodluck you wanna show some guts? just don't push ur luck so far.
evidence please.
@miss Nigerian film and tv addict - may i suggest u stick to ur area of "expertise" or should i say area of addiction which I would assume would b Nigerian films and tv bcos u have no idea - even all through the bible we see men of God sent by God to go and confront kings when they had done wrong eg Nathan to David, Samuel to Saul, Elijah , Elisha etc - when did it become wrong to spk out against corruption irregardless of ur vocation? *pls don't annoy me this morning - Linda keep up the good work
Honestly I cannot understand Nigerians. Goodluck Jonathan paid a bribe to a Pastor and said Pastor exposes him and all that people can say is that he should keep mum?
Someone even decided to bring up the pastor's ethnicity. If these are the people to whom Nigeria will be handed; people brainwashed by religion, ethnicity and home videos, then the country is finished!
That money may not be bribe after all is pastor Tunde Bakare a politician? He should piss off real men of God don't act that way.
anonymous why u dey always attack nigerian addict, abi u et personal grudge? haba.tunde bakare to dey open mouth sha.and i agree with the other person..because goodluck na quiet south man, dem go dey attack..dem no get liver to attack abacha and ibb make dem kill them like animal..rubbish..bribe ko, bribe ni.
http://www.wazobiareport.com/default.aspx/Alleged-$50,000-bribe-was-actually-tithe
Silence is golden, A word fitly spoken is like golden apples in pictures of silver, you don't just talk anyhow! That's y some of his prophecies don't come 2 pass!
Nigerians cannot sieze to amaze me. am so shocked that the same set of guys who would be calling for the heads of some other allegedly corrupt individuals are still here asking the pastor to keep mum for something that could easily pass for corruption as well. Keep quiet???????...cos of Jonathan????pls pls pls
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