The Senate has criticised Senior Pastor of the Global Community Citadel Church, Tunde Bakare, for his recent remarks against the 10th National Assembly, accusing him of crossing the line.
The Senate’s response was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu.
During his Easter State-of-the-Nation broadcast in Lagos, Bakare, a former presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress, took a swipe at President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing him of turning the 10th Assembly into “a haven for legislative rascality” and describing it as the “48th member of his cabinet.”
Bakare also criticised the emergency rule in Rivers State and condemned lawmakers for supporting it. He further raised alarm over worsening insecurity, referencing recent killings in Plateau, Benue, and Enugu states.
In his response, Adaramodu dismissed the cleric’s comments as “sweeping, disparaging and politically motivated.”
“We view his corrosive criticisms of the National Assembly as a biased and political ecumenical homily,” the statement read.
The lawmaker said the Senate would not be drawn into commenting on matters before the courts, in line with respect for the judiciary. However, he insisted Bakare’s attacks were unfair and unhelpful to national development.
“To cast aspersions on the entire institution based on personal frustrations, ideological differences, or as positioning ahead of possible future political alignments is not only unfair but also counterproductive to our collective democratic journey,” he said.
While noting Bakare’s right to express himself, Adaramodu said the cleric had gone too far with what he described as “aspersions and unsubstantiated claims” and stressed the need to clarify the National Assembly’s position to avoid misleading the public.
“Indeed, there are well-documented instances where the National Assembly has constructively disagreed with the executive—including on specific provisions of the presidential declaration on the Rivers State state of emergency, which Pastor Bakare referenced,” he noted.
Adaramodu also faulted Bakare’s comparison of the 10th Assembly with the National Assembly’s resistance to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term bid, describing it as misplaced.
“It’s noteworthy that the executive has never brought any unconstitutional agenda before the 10th National Assembly—like the unspeakable but infamous Third Term bid, which Pastor Bakare used as a benchmark for legislative performance,” he said.
He concluded by calling for a more respectful national conversation.
“The challenges facing our country require dialogue anchored on truth, mutual respect, and a commitment to nation-building—not polarising rhetoric that undermines confidence in our democratic institutions,” he said.
“The Senate remains open to engaging with all Nigerians, including Pastor Bakare, in the spirit of constructive engagement.”
