Between Obama and Bakare: The Twin Prophecy

These are days of revolution; these are days of great destinies. These are days of lasting history, when men are about to write their names once again in the sands of time. About a century ago, a technological revolution began and humanity went into long years of supremacy battles amongst the nations. This culminated in two world wars which have largely shaped the hierarchy of the nations. At this time, however, Africa and her constituent nations were missing out on the deal. Her lands were still Balkanized, amalgamations were going on without the opinion or consent of Africans, no African nation except Ethiopia was Independent, all were still colonized by European nations. Today, however, a century after, a new type of revolution has hit the nations of Africa, peoples everywhere are decrying the yoke of oppression, Egypt, Tunisia, Gabon, and Ivory Coast, Africans are yearning for a better deal, better leadership, better nationhood, and better standards of living.

It is hard to alienate this sudden awakened consciousness in Africans of all hue and cry from the singular epoch making event called Barack Obama. In the wake of Barack Obama’s rise, who when it comes to the brass tacks is of direct African descent, into the Presidency of the United States of America, thereby breaking a jinx that no one thought was ever possible, and becoming the most powerful man on earth and the leader of the free world, a sudden realization rolled across the nations of the world, especially the continent of Africa from where this man has his roots, a realization that truly nothing is impossible. A realization that truly, there is no magic spell anywhere responsible for the backward state of Africa and Africans, that we have the power to shape our future or forever live with the consequences of our docility. The truth is told before our very eyes, this truth has set free majority of Africans, and now they line the palaces of perennial dictators demanding for a change in their nations.

At home in Nigeria, the revolution is taking a different turn from those of the other African nations mentioned. The revolution is alive and is predicated on the incredible mass interest in the forthcoming elections. Judging by the mood of the season, it seems Nigerians have had it up to here and are determined to enforce a change in the polity. This change, as articulated by most is to start with the dethronement of the ruling party from power, a party that has only offered our nation more evil than good. A new wave of excitement hit the air in the past weeks when Dr. Tunde Bakare, a Christian Pastor joined the Presidential race as Vice Presidential candidate to a former military head of State, Gen Muhammadu Buhari. Ever since that declaration was made, the atmosphere leading up to the elections changed dramatically, it became electrified, as debates and arguments have gone forth into the appropriateness or otherwise of his candidature, the prospect of a Nigeria led by the duo, and the seemingly premeditated move by the popular, yet controversial clergyman. In my opinion, Dr Tunde Bakare’s entry into the race in this election is the epoch making event of the hour, bringing a somewhat revolutionary trend into electioneering in Nigeria, as many erstwhile docile individuals have suddenly gained interest in the race, either pro- or anti-Bakare!

As I reflected on these issues, the two revolution-inspiring personalities of the moment, Obama and Bakare, I could not help but notice certain meeting points between the two men, and as I reflected deeper, my mind went ablaze upon remembering a certain prophecy delivered by the revered Pastor over a decade ago, at the moment it was delivered the prophecy seemed half true, but now with the benefit of hindsight, it seems like it was two prophecies bound in one.

First I discovered that both men were born Muslims, but converted to Christianity. Obama’s Muslim name was Hussein, whilst Bakare’s Muslim name was Sindiku. Both men never really knew their fathers. Bakare’s father died before he was born, whilst Obama only met his father once as a child. Consequently they both grew up without their fathers. Both men are lawyers. Both men are visioneers, knowing what they were born to do right from their childhood. Bakare has always stated that he planned from his days as a youth to study law, use his law background as a stepping stone into the business world, accumulate wealth and end up in politics, before the lord snatched him and gave another assignment, for a season. Obama on his own, graduated tops of his class from school, and rather than take up jobs offered him from the juiciest firms of the time, decided to go into community service, so he gain enough shop floor knowledge for the political career he had envisioned for his future.

In June 1999, at a service at the Latter Rain Assembly Lagos, Pastor Bakare gave a word of prophecy that was a landmark. He prophesied that anytime from year 2000 upwards, God would raise a black man of influence to rule America. But in the second part of the prophecy, he tried to explain how it would come to be but he ended up speaking about himself. That is why I called this prophecy, a two in one prophecy. The first part was for Obama and the second part for Bakare himself, though at that time, he never realized it, nor does he probably realize this up till now. Does the scripture not say “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part? The words of the prophecy are in the excerpts below:

“Son of man, I am positioning you in this land, because I’m raising up a black man of influence that will rule America. Does that make sense? How in your mind do you ever think a black man will ever become the President of America, it’s an impossibility! How many of you know that this does not interest me, I’m still trying to fix my nation (not so mama?) I’m reconstructing, rebuilding, my home is in shambles, and He’s talking to you, what will happen from year 2000 upwards. Anytime from Year 2000 upwards, I want a black man to rule America…of course it cannot be me. Lord how shall this be? He didn’t talk to me; another day, hmm… what we discussed yesterday remember? Check Gen 45:8 it was Joseph talking, “I’m now become father to Pharaoh, lord over all his house, and lord over all Egypt” so I said Lord what has that got to do with me and click, click in my heart, I saw, I don’t know the man but I’m going to pray him through that’s going to be my assignment, he’s a black man, he’s a Christian, one American Presidential candidate is going to cross the line, do the unusual and make him his vice President and either between the first term or the second term, something will happen to that man, and the black man who is a descendant of slaves like Joseph, who will become second in command to Pharaoh like Joseph, will end up becoming the Lord over all Egypt.”

The former part of the prophecy spoke about Obama, the Christian black man of influence that God raised to become America’s current President shortly after the year 2000, but the latter part spoke of Bakare, the Presidential Candidate was not in America but here in Nigeria, Buhari, who would cross the line, do the unusual and make a Pastor, a fiery one at that, his Vice President. And thereby a Joseph would emerge who would rule beside Pharaoh and bring economic prosperity, security, fame and greatness to the land of Egypt!

In the wake of the American elections that brought Obama to power, an excitement ran across the world in a tremor, but some people felt it more than others did. Within the body of Christ, many were wary and some, looking at the love the whole world showered on the man, postulated that he was the anti-christ to come. However, Pastor Bakare’s excitement over the development knew no bounds. In the weeks leading up to the election, Pastor Bakare spoke about the man continuously, and led the church to pray for him time and again. Pastor Bakare watched his every speech and sometimes wept when he compared the quality of politics in those climes with ours back home. When Obama won the election, the very next Sunday Pastor Bakare made a nationwide broadcast on Television with the title, “American elections; God’s perspective” where he prepared the ground unknowingly for this BB season. We in the youth ministry then also caught the fire; at that time I was coordinator of a movement called GIC in the youth church of the Latter Rain Assembly and we floated a youth town hall meeting with the topic, “Barack Obama: Can it happen in Nigeria?” Looking back now, I realize Pastor Bakare’s keen interest was not just because of the prophecy he had given, or the prospect of a black man becoming President of America, that jubilant excitement was also because in Obama, Pastor Bakare saw a picture of himself, even though the season had not yet come.

I draw my inference from a position of knowledge having been a passionate follower of the man of God for years. Over the years the man had spoken about the emerging Joseph generation and even had a whole conference about it in 2008. Well, this is the season, for the emergence of this Joseph generation. The Joseph generation is not Pastor Bakare himself alone; it is a whole galaxy of God’s sons who will begin to take over political blocks starting from this season! As events unfolded in recent times, all I could say is God is wonderful, the one who knows the very end from the beginning! The man had declared time and again that he knew for sure that his destiny was intertwined with that of Nigeria, yet he had also declared that he had no interest in politics. However God had other plans as this BB ticket has revealed! And just like Obama is a first seed for blacks in America to begin to aspire to any height they could imagine in their country, so is Pastor Bakare a first seed for all children of God who had erstwhile considered politics a field of endeavor that was a taboo for the righteous. There is a revolution for the hour, saying to us all, God does not forbid any man from rebuilding and reconstructing his nation, even as we bring the light of God’s values and ways to correct the rebellious ways of the sons of Belial who have misled our nation for so long. If he didn’t forbid Nehemiah, Deborah, Joseph and the many Heroes of faith in the Bible, He will not forbid us from getting involved in the rebuilding and reconstruction of our nation, Nigeria.

Every nation has a time of visitation; the wind of change is blowing across the nations of Africa in violent ways, but has come to our doorsteps in Nigeria via a non-violent channel, through our choices with the ballot in the forthcoming election. In this election Nigerians have a choice to turn the ship of our nation from its present course, which ultimately leads to destruction, to an entirely new direction which will ensure greatness, prosperity and a bright future. Righteousness exalteth a nation, because when the righteous are in power, the people will rejoice. May Nigeria not miss her moment of visitation! God has spoken to us in parables, it is up to us to discern his move for the hour, this is the cap of all transformation moves across Nigeria, and this is the moment we have been waiting for. We must ensure the BB ticket takes over in Aso Rock this year. Nigeria this is our chance, this is our time, and we will not be oppressed any longer!