Nigerian pastor and former presidential running mate, Tunde Bakare, has called on Christians to actively participate in politics, arguing that disengagement from public leadership has weakened the country’s moral and political structure.

Bakare said this on Channels Television, while defending his controversial decision to run alongside former president Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 election. He had said it was not an act of betrayal but a deliberate move to demonstrate that Christians can and should take up leadership roles.

“People called me a traitor for running on a Muslim-Muslim ticket. But that’s because they don’t understand the priesthood of Jesus Christ. We are made kings and priests, and kings operate in governance,” Bakare said.

He added that Jesus called believers the salt of the earth and light of the world, meaning they are meant to shape society and not remain idle in political matters.

“If we remain in our churches and fail to engage the world, how do we change anything? If we do not maintain contact without contamination, we will never influence what’s happening,” he said.

Bakare said his involvement in the 2011 election paved the way for greater Christian participation in politics, including the emergence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He stressed that Christians cannot expect transformation in society if they keep sitting on the sidelines.

Quoting political philosopher Edmund Burke, Bakare said, “Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.”

Bakare also addressed criticisms from fellow Christians who said he compromised his faith by associating with Buhari, who was at the time accused by some of being a religious extremist. He said those criticisms were based on ignorance and shallow understanding of political engagement.

“I saw integrity and discipline in Buhari. He was not a man of many words, but his actions were deliberate. I never saw corruption in him during all the years we worked together,” Bakare said.

He narrated how Buhari, after watching him make corrections to a political motion ahead of the APC launch, insisted that Bakare be the one to move the motion the following day a reflection, he said, of Buhari’s trust and decisiveness.

Reflecting on Buhari’s death at the age of 82 in London, Bakare paid glowing tributes to the late president, describing him as a “great man who gave his all for Nigeria” and deserved a state burial.

Bakare said Nigeria’s political dysfunction is not about the character of individuals but about a structurally broken system that corrupts even good people. “No matter how clean you are, if the system is dirty, you will struggle,” he said.

He urged the country to revisit its Constitution and governance framework to prevent capable leaders from being rendered ineffective by systemic failure.

“If we do not fix our structure the Constitution, institutions, and the quality of those who lead no single leader will succeed,” he added.

Bakare maintained that engaging politics is not unholy, but a moral obligation for Christians who want to see righteousness exalt a nation. “Politics is not a dirty game  it is the people in it that are dirty. And until the right people get involved, nothing will change,” he said.