Get Guardian on GoogleThe Senate has cautioned Pastor Tunde Bakare against taking venting his frustrations on the 10th National Assembly.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, gave the warning in a response to what he described as the cleric’s recent public comments, which included “sweeping generalisations and disparaging commentary aimed at the institution of the National Assembly.”
Adaramodu noted that while the Senate respects the right of every citizen, regardless of station, to express views on the state of the nation, it is constrained to respond when such commentary “crosses the line into unwarranted invective and misleading assertions that risk eroding public trust in democratic institutions.”
He said: “Pastor Bakare, a cleric and political voice in his own right, has previously contributed to national discourse in ways that have spurred reflection and debate.
“However, his most recent statements veer away from constructive criticism into rhetoric, unfortunately laced with contempt and unsubstantiated claims.’’
“It is also important to acknowledge that Pastor Bakare was a presidential aspirant in the last general elections and a vice-presidential candidate in a previous electoral cycle.
“We view his corrosive criticisms of the National Assembly as a biased and political ecumenical homily.”
