By Akanimo Sampson
Former 2011 Presidential running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the coalition parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tunde Bakare, has said that he will succeed his political associate as the 16th President of Nigeria in 2023.
His 2023 presidential dream is coming to the open as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is busy denying that it did not provide N90 billion to finance the election campaign of the APC during the last controversial presidential election.
The FIRS claimed in a statement by its Director of Communications, Wahab Gbadamosi, in reaction to claims by a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Timi Frank, that it supported the APC, through Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with N90 billion.
FIRS says in the last four years since its Executive Chairman, Tunde Fowler, supervised its operations, the agency had not received up to N90 billion per annum as cost of collection from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).
Continuing, the tax agency said it was from the remittances from FAAC which had never grossed up to N100bn per annum that it paid salaries and emoluments and trained its over 8,000 members of staff, and managed over 150 offices.
“The FIRS operates on behalf of Nigerians. Taxpayers’ money, including the operational funds of the service, is sacred and we exercise extra care and diligence in expenditures, even after such funds must have been appropriated by the National Assembly,’’ the agency said, and requested members of the public to ignore the claims of the ex-APC spokesman as he was only seeking cheap popularity.
In the mean time, going by numerology, Bakare, the senior pastor of Latter Rain Assembly is pushing to becomes Nigeria’s seventh president, In the build-up to the 2015 presidential polls, he was tipped as one of those who would likely emerge as Buhari’s vice president. But, former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, prevailed with his nominee, Prof. Osinbajo.
In numerology (the study of numbers), the number seven (7) is a sacred one that refers to wisdom. In the universe of the stars, the number 7 has a preponderant place too. Indeed, it corresponds to the number of planets and to the metals that are commonly linked to them, namely: Mars and iron; Venus and copper; Saturn and lead; Jupiter and tin; Mercury and mercury; The Moon and silver, The Sun and gold.
In Islam, there are seven verses in the first sura (chapter) in the Qur’an. During the rituals of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, pilgrims walk around the Kaaba seven times. Those who know better say the Kaaba is the most sacred site of Islam. Muslims believe it was rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael.
Pilgrims also walk/run between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah seven times in remembrance of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael when she desperately ran between the two hills in search for water to save her dying son. An angel appeared and as the angel hit the ground, water from a well came to sight, thus saving the lives of mother and child.
The number 7 is one of the most significant numbers of the Christian Bible because it is the number of spiritual perfection. It is the number which is stamped on every work of God. We can observe the importance of this number in nature too. Be it physics, chemistry or music we can see they are all based on this number of God’s work.
All music that is created is based on seven basic notes of music, the eight note is just a higher or lower octave. If light is passed through a prism then it splits into seven parts, this is known by a very famous abbreviation VIBGYOR. There are seven basic crystal systems in minerals. Even in the periodic table we can observe that there are seven levels of periodicity.
Bakare is known for his no-nonsense stand when it comes to issues about Nigeria and politics.
In a video which was said to have been recorded in February 2018, but went viral in social media on Monday, the controversial pastor declared that he will be number 16 (7 in numerology) president of Nigeria after President Buhari who is currently number 15.
While he described Buhari as the Moses who will take Nigerians to River Jor- dan, he described himself as Joshua, who will take citizens across the river to the Promised Land.
‘’Take it to the mountain top, if you have never heard it before, I’m saying it to you this morning; in the scheme of things as far as politics of Nigeria is concerned, President Muhammad Buhari is No 15, and yours sincerely, I’m No 16. I have never said that to you before. I make it plain this morning, nothing can change it; he is No15andI’mNo16.
“To this end was I born, I have prepared you for this for more than 30 years. That is why he wants to run in 2019, I do not oppose; he is still No 15, it is when he steps out that I step in. His assignment is that of Moses to take Nigeria to River Jordan, but he can’t cross it, it will take a Joshua to cross to the other side and begin the distribution of resources to the people of this nation,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the controversial pastor has said he had not granted any interview on the issue involving Vice President Osinbajo. In an interview with an online medium, Bakare said: “I believe the government is perfectly capable of addressing the issues.
While urging the public to disregard any interview said to have been granted by him, the 2023 presidential hopeful said, “I have not and I am not granting interviews on this current VP saga. If, however, my counsel is sought at all, I will handle that confidentially and not in public.”
