Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has issued a warning to several Nigerian politicians, including former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, urging them to seek divine guidance before forming any alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele predicted that politicians who have lost out in major parties like the PDP, APC, Labour Party, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) will attempt to create a “third force” political party to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027. However, he emphasized that none of the current opposition parties have the strength to challenge Tinubu, as they are all fearful of the potential consequences such as legal troubles or political losses.
The cleric pointed out that while Atiku and Obi are both unlikely to win elections individually, he believes they could form a powerful alliance if they unite. He urged these politicians to carefully consider their actions before moving forward with a coalition.
Ayodele also stated that El-Rufai would not be able to challenge President Tinubu alone and reiterated the importance of strong political figures joining forces. He advised the opposition to seek the face of God before proceeding with any attempt to form a third force, cautioning that any poorly planned effort would result in wasted time and energy.
The Primate further commented that internal sabotage within opposition parties could undermine their effectiveness, as those within the parties who should be working to strengthen them may actually be working to weaken them. He expressed his intent to hold off on further comments regarding the third force until he sees who will be involved in its formation.
In his final remarks, Ayodele declared that the current opposition in Nigeria is ineffective, claiming that “the opposition is dead,” and warned that if the key figures do not come together, their efforts will not succeed.
