Some call him controversial. Others call him courageous. Pastor Tunde Bakare has been described as a fiery preacher, a radical reformer, a political pastor, a pulpit activist, an uncompromising voice, and a modern-day John the Baptist. To some, he is a fearless advocate for a better Nigeria. To others, he is a man whose words and methods invite disagreement.
People know Pastor Tunde Bakare through sermons, public statements, and headlines. But those cannot capture the whole man.
I lived with him for many years.
Not occasional visits, but many years under the same roof. I know him to a greater extent, beyond the microphone and the headlines. I know his convictions, but I also know his tenderness.
So today, I am not writing as a political commentator or a spectator of his ministry. I am writing as a son, grateful for the privilege of knowing him closely.
My Father! My Father!
The Tender Heart Behind the Strong Voice
A man can sound fierce in public and still be gentle with people. Living with him taught me that.
I saw people come to him with problems they could not solve alone. Some needed someone to listen. Others needed direction, encouragement, or practical assistance. He made time for them. He did not always stop at saying, “I will pray for you.” He looked for ways to help them move forward.
Their worries mattered to him, even when they had nothing to offer in return.
The Generosity Many Never See
I remember the scholarships he gave to people who could not afford school. Education was beyond their means, and he helped make a way. Many of those he assisted could never repay him. That was not the point. The value of the gift was in the opportunity it gave them to continue learning and imagine a different future.
I also witnessed him extend business loans to people who needed a chance to start or sustain something of their own, without pressing them to return the money. Sometimes, what a person needs is someone who trusts them enough to help them begin again.
What stays with me just as much as the help itself is how little he speaks of it. Whether serving individuals, the body of Christ, or Nigeria, I never knew him to go public just to announce what he had done. He helped because there was a need, not because he wanted recognition.
My hope is that, one day, some of those who benefited from his kindness will find the courage to tell their own stories: “This is what Pastor Tunde Bakare did for me.” Not to repay him with praise, but so people can hear about the compassion that rarely makes the headlines. Their voices could reveal a side of him that even my words cannot fully describe.
In a 2016 interview about serving without payment, he said, “Keep your money; let’s take care of the needs of the people first.” I recognised the same concern for people in the generosity I witnessed.
The Private Devotion of Pastor Tunde Bakare
The world sees Pastor Tunde Bakare preaching, teaching, challenging, and calling people to account. I also saw a man who made spending time with God a priority.
That commitment impressed me because it existed beyond the public demands of ministry. His relationship with God was not merely something he spoke about to others. I witnessed the place he gave it in his own life.
In 2024, he said, “I have served God, I have served man.” I had seen how prayer and practical care for others came together in his life.
I am still learning from that example. It challenges me to examine the time I give to God, not just the things I say about faith. And I am grateful I had the privilege of seeing that lesson lived out, not simply hearing it preached.
A Heart That Carries Nigeria
There is another part of his life I cannot leave out: his desire to see a Nigeria that works.
I know the years, energy, and attention he has invested in nation-building. I know how much he has wanted a country where leadership is accountable, institutions serve the people, and an ordinary family can look toward tomorrow with hope.
And there is something particularly moving about his hope to see that Nigeria in his own lifetime. Not simply to speak of a dream for future generations, but to see children receive opportunities, businesses thrive, and citizens live with dignity while he is still here to witness it.
In a sermon reported in 2018, he declared, “Nigeria will be saved, Nigeria will be changed, and Nigeria will become great in my lifetime.” I know how much that hope has meant to him.
What Those Years Taught Me
He once said, “As for me, regardless of how I am perceived, I will continue to contribute my quota”. I have watched him live with that determination, whatever the public response.
But I know what I saw.
I saw a tender heart behind a strong voice. I saw time set aside for God. I saw people receive scholarships when they had no way to pay. I saw struggling entrepreneurs given help without the pressure of repayment. And I saw a man devote precious years of his life to the possibility of a better Nigeria.
Those experiences shaped my understanding of fatherhood. A father’s legacy is not only his advice, but how he treats others.
In 2 Kings 2:12, Elisha cried, “My father, my father!” I borrow those words today not in grief, but in celebration. I am thankful that I can speak them while my father is here to receive my love and gratitude.
My Birthday Prayer
My Father, My Father, on your birthday I pray for more than long life. I pray for years filled with health, strength, peace, and the simple joy of being surrounded by people who love you for who you are, not for what you can give them.
May the students you helped find their paths, the businesses you supported flourish, and the people you touched carry that generosity forward. May you find rest after years of responsibility.
I pray, too, for Pastor Mrs. Tunde Bakare. May God continue to preserve you both, strengthen your home, and grant you many more years of companionship and laughter.
And may you live to see meaningful progress toward the Nigeria you have spent so much of your life hoping for.
When others remember you, they may remember a controversy, a sermon, or a political statement. I will remember the tenderness, the prayers, the people you helped, and the many years I was privileged to share your home.
If I could live those years again, I would cherish them even more. Thank you for the room you made for me in your life, for the example you set, and for the memories I can still treasure.
Let the world call you what it chooses. I know the name that matters most to me.
My Father, My Father
Share Your Story. Celebrate a Life of Impact.
Have you ever been personally touched by the kindness, generosity, mentorship, or ministry of Pastor Tunde Bakare?
Perhaps he helped you through school, supported your business, stood by you during a difficult season, or influenced your life in ways he may never know.
This is an opportunity to share your testimony. Sometimes, the most powerful stories are those that have never been told.
If Pastor Tunde Bakare has made a difference in your life, I invite you to share your experience in the comment section below.
Your story may inspire someone and remind us that the greatest legacies are often written quietly in the lives of others.
Follow @iamsojiolateru for more reflections on faith, family, leadership, and life.
My Father! My Father!
Happy birthday. I love you. I honour you. And I thank God for your life.
Your son,
Soji Olateru
He made time for them. He did not always stop at saying, “I will pray for you.” He looked for ways to help them move forward..
This resonate with me greatly