Where is Pastor Tunde Bakare?

By Dr. Egbo Paul

This is not an attack. This is not an accusation. This is the cry of a heart that once drew strength from a man whose voice thundered with conviction, courage, and clarity.

I still remember the beginning of my encounter with you. It was around 1999–2000 when Evangelist John Eze, now Rt. Rev. John Eze (Bishop of Nsukka) introduced you to me.

I was young, but something in your fire stirred something in mine. Your boldness lit up places inside me that had never known light. Your clarity of scripture shaped my understanding of God’s truth.
Your charisma made righteousness look courageous, not timid.

Your intellectual depth made me hunger to know God beyond emotions. I bought your tapes. I waited for TV channels that aired your messages. Your New Year declarations became the foundation upon which I built hope for every coming season.

To me, you were not just a preacher, you were a compass. But today, I ask with trembling sincerity: Where is Pastor Tunde Bakare?

Where is that voice that once shook the gates of power? Where is that prophet who spoke when others swallowed their words? Where is that lion of the pulpit who challenged injustice without blinking?

Because now, right now, Nigeria is aflame with accusations, tensions, fears, and conversations about Christian persecution, ethno-religious killings, and the silent bleeding of communities trying to survive.

The nation is groaning. The Church is crying. The people are confused.
And your silence, Sir. Your silence is loud.

This is not to judge you. It is not to mock you. It is not to measure your relevance.

It is a plea. A lament. A longing.

For more than two decades, your voice was a lamp in dark political nights.
You stood when others bent.
You confronted when others compromised.

You spoke when others hid in diplomatic shadows.

So today, many of us who grew up under your ministry are simply asking: Where is Tunde Bakare? Where is the voice that once called a nation to conscience?
Where is the shepherd who once comforted, corrected, and confronted?
Where is the prophet whose words carried weight in moments like this?

Because, Sir, the Nigeria of today needs that voice again. Not the voice of politics. Not the voice of party lines. Not the voice of caution.

But that old, fearless, Spirit-driven voice that once helped us stand tall in faith, no matter how dark the valley was.

We remember the man you were. We honour the seeds you sowed. We cherish the spiritual imprints you left on our journeys.

But we cannot deny what we feel: Your silence in this moment is unbelievably unbecoming of the Tunde Bakare we once knew.

We are not angry. We are not demanding. We are not entitled. We are simply asking, from pain, from love, and from memory:

Sir, where are you? Nigeria is bleeding.
The Church needs clarity.
The nation needs prophetic courage.
And some of us still believe you have something to say.

Dr. Paul: Distanced Admirer, egbo4christ@gmail.com