3 weeks ago
Primate Elijah Ayodele, the leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has warned that President Bola Tinubu will be defeated in the 2027 presidential election. The cleric cautioned that attempts to influence voters using distributions of rice and money will fail to secure a victory for Tinubu in the upcoming polls.
Speaking to his congregation at his Lagos-based church, the popular prophet voiced his support for comments made about Tinubu by Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Abuja. Ayodele emphasized that the Nigerian public is currently grappling with hunger and anger.
He urged Nigerians to defend Onaiyekan, asserting that the Catholic leader is speaking the truth, which he claimed some Pentecostal pastors have failed to communicate to the president.
Ayodele stated:
"This is what I expected all these babas of faith, I don’t want to mention their names because it’s not sounding right before God."
He added:
"I give it to Archbishop Onaiyekan for what he has said to the president. Leave him, if Tinubu like let him take or not but there is anger and hunger in the land."
Warning of the political consequences of the current economic situation, the prophet concluded:
"By the election, you will see how people will show their grievances, rice and money will not stop it. We are telling you to do the right thing, all these surrogate aides will push you into a fire that will burn you, Tinubu will lose this election."
Why It Matters
In Nigeria, religious leaders hold immense social authority and frequently act as vital commentators on governance, economic policy, and national stability. The country has recently grappled with severe economic hardships, including record-high inflation and food insecurity, which have fueled widespread public frustration. Additionally, the practice of distributing cash and food items to voters during political campaigns—often referred to as "stomach infrastructure"—remains a highly contentious issue that civil society groups have long criticized as detrimental to democratic integrity. Consequently, public criticism from prominent religious figures regarding these practices and the state of the nation carries significant weight with the electorate.
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