By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
Send tips to: adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
In a shocking clash between politics and prophecy, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) accusing Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, of attempting to extort ₦150 million through “spiritual blackmail” to secure his 2027 Oyo State governorship ambition.
The explosive allegations, detailed in a petition dated October 13, 2025, and signed by the minister’s Special Adviser on Strategic Communications, Bolaji Tunji, claim Ayodele demanded cash and lavish ritual items including 24 APC flags and 1,000 trumpets or saxophones valued at up to ₦130 million as “divine instructions” for electoral victory. After Adelabu’s refusal, Ayodele allegedly issued “false prophecies” during church services declaring the minister would “never rule Oyo,” aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
Adelabu, a former Central Bank of Nigeria deputy governor and 2023 APC gubernatorial candidate, also filed complaints with the Oyo State Police Commissioner and Inspector-General of Police, framing the cleric’s actions as “extortive, deceitful, and inciting” threats to public peace.
According to text messages exchanged between the duo reviewed by multiple outlets Ayodele reportedly instructed:
“Sir, I don’t do this, but because of the love I have for you… God said provide 24 APC flags and 1,000 trumpets/saxophones for spiritual fortification. Deadline: April 1 (later extended to April 4). Recite Alam Nashrah 200 times daily and join 1 a.m. vigils.”
Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com
The trumpets alone were priced at ₦50 million for local variants or ₦130 million for imported Chinese ones, per Ayodele’s estimate. Adelabu rejected the overtures, stating his ambition is driven by “genuine service, not spiritual manipulation or fetish practices.”
In a swift rebuttal to TheCable and other media, Ayodele denied extortion, claiming Adelabu initiated contact via emissaries due to “desperation” for the throne.
“I didn’t blackmail him. We didn’t have any transaction. He said he’d give anything for power… I told him to verify trumpet prices at the market himself—his PA pressured me!” Ayodele insisted, adding he had long predicted Adelabu’s failure without “divine grace.”
Ayodele’s media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, challenged the minister to sue, reiterating no money was demanded only item procurement for “his good.” The cleric also invoked past unheeded letters to Adelabu during his CBN days.
Adelabu, an APC heavyweight eyeing a 2027 rematch after 2023’s loss to Governor Seyi Makinde (PDP), urged the DSS to probe Ayodele, retract “false prophecies,” and apologize publicly. The petition warns of Ayodele’s pattern of targeting politicians, potentially “disturbing public peace.”
Neither DSS nor Oyo Police have commented, but the saga spotlights the shadowy intersection of prophecy and power in Nigerian politics where “divine” endorsements often come with a hefty price tag.
Analysts like Dr. Akin Omojola see it as “pre-election psywar,” with Makinde’s camp staying mum. Ayodele, known for annual “prophecy books” naming winners and losers, has faced similar accusations before.
As Oyo’s 2027 contest looms, this “trumpet of trouble” could echo far beyond the pulpit.
DDNewsOnline