EXCLUSIVE : Bakare parts way with Buhari, CPC

Ayodele Samuel, Lagos Strong indication emerged yesterday that Congress for Progress Change (CPC), Vice Presidential candidate Pastor Tunde Bakare has parted ways with his presidential candidate General Muhammud Buhari and his party CPC . This followed the ongoing merger process with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and other opposition parties ahead of 2015 election which Bakare was said to be staunchly against. Peoples Daily exclusively gathered that Bakare had before now made his stand known to Buhari that he cannot work with the Tinubu controlled ACN, insisting that the CPC should reorganize itself and go into the next election. A close source to Bakare said since the issue of merger with ACN was not supported by tBakare, his relationship with Buhari caucus led by Buba Galadima , Sule Haman and the party leadership had gone sour . “very highly placed CPC members had been worried about refusal of Pastor Bakare to fall in line with the ongoing merger process which they believe is the only way of kicking PDP government out in the next general election and they are showing him the way out” The source quoted Bakare saying has never been a member of the CPC but was only invited as a running mate in the last election and would not bow to former Lagos state Governor Bola Tinubu for political powers. The source said “he (Bakare) was begged to accept to contest the 2011 election with Buhari, he has never for once been a member, he’s the only running mate that stood behind Buhari after election, during tribunal and after tribunal, but the agreement is over, the coming together was for the purpose of election, which he played his part loyally to the party, Buhari and his conscience. Now he has decided to chart a new course in the country , he now faces his Save Nigeria Group” Peoples Daily gathered that efforts were made by former FCT Minister Mallam Nasir El-Rufia to persuade Bakare not to dump the party but proved abortive. The source said one of such was a closed door meeting between El-Rufia and Bakare last week Sunday in Lagos. Another source in the Party however revealed that Bakare had taken the decision after he had counselled the Ondo State chapter of the CPC not to file any candidate in the state gubernatorial election last October. “he wanted the party in the state to support Governor Mimiko in the October election but the party filed his candidate, when our National Leader (Buhari) was in Ondo to campaign for the candidates, Bakare was not there, he insisted that we should work for Mimiko which he later declared his support for openly.” Efforts to speak to Bakare proved abortive as his media contact said, “the issue is not ripe to be commented on”