TheCable

Tunde Bakare, general overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, says it is too early to judge President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance in office.

Appealing to Nigerians to exercise patience, Bakare said there is no pain without gain.

He expressed confidence in the abilities of Buhari to turn the country around for the better, and bring the country “out of the woods”.

The pastor was speaking at the presidential villa in Abuja on Friday after holding a closed-door meeting with Buhari.

“It’s too early and just too soon to begin to judge. If there is anything I know about Mr. President, it is that he has a good heart. He loves this country and he wants the country to run well,” he said.

“But it takes time. I know we are all impatient and in a hurry and I trust we will come out of the woods.‎

‎”When you are driving on a wrong direction, for example, you are going to Ibadan and you face Badagry, and you get to Cotonou and you realise you have gone in the wrong direction for too long a time, then you make a U-turn, there will be some suffering you have to go through.

“Pain is part of gain. No pain no gain. The years of wastage and all that we have done wrong has finally caught up with us.

“All we are praying for is wisdom for this government to do things right and to do the right things so that gradually, we can begin to come out of the woods.”

When asked if the idea of ‎cabinet reshuffling would be necessary, the preacher said: “‎That’s your opinion, not mine. And it is Mr. President’s. He can do what he likes when he likes it.

“He knows what he has given them. For example, I have not given any appointment to anyone, so I can’t judge their performance.

“But if there are yardsticks and standards given to them and if they have performed below par, definitely, the president would not mind at the right time to do those things.”

Bakare was Buhari’s running mate in 2011 when the president contested on the platform of the then Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).