Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Oyo State Police Command over what he described as an attempt by Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, to extort ₦150 million from him under the guise of “spiritual intercession” to make him governor of Oyo State.
Adelabu, who has already declared his ambition to contest the 2027 Oyo governorship election, detailed his allegations in a petition dated October 13, 2025, and signed by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji.
He accused the cleric of blackmail, false prophecies, and “persistent spiritual demands” after he refused to comply with what he described as outrageous requests couched as divine instructions.
Cleric Requested APC Flags, 1,000 Saxophones, and Other Items — Minister Alleges
According to text exchanges sighted by TheCable, Primate Ayodele allegedly asked Adelabu to purchase and bring 24 APC flags for special prayers. He also demanded 1,000 saxophones/trumpets, with fairly used Nigerian grades estimated at ₦50 million and imported grade-one versions from China costing about ₦130 million.
Ayodele reportedly instructed that the items be delivered by April 1, later extending the deadline to April 4, adding:
“Sir, I don’t do this, but because of the love I have for you.”
The cleric also claimed he had written Adelabu multiple times during his tenure as deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. He insisted the requests were divine directives, telling Adelabu to recite “almu nasira 200 times” and perform a midnight vigil because “the angel of God is coming to hear request by 1am”.
Ayodele repeated in the messages that the minister would “rule Oyo State”, saying:
“I have divine advice for you sir… I don’t want you to lose the coming election. That is why I’m following the instructions.”
Adelabu, however, replied that he could not afford the requested items.
But after the minister failed to comply, Ayodele declared in his church that Adelabu “had failed” and would not become governor. He insisted his pronouncements were “warnings from God” and openly dared Adelabu to arrest or sue him.
‘My Ambition Is Not Fueled by Fetish Practices’ — Adelabu Writes DSS
In his petition, Adelabu said he rejected the cleric’s demands because his political ambition is based on genuine service, not “spiritual manipulation”.
He urged the DSS to investigate Ayodele and compel him to retract the prophecies.
The petition reads in part:
“I write to formally draw the attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the extortive, deceitful, and inciting activities of one self-acclaimed pastor known as Primate Elijah Ayodele… whose actions are capable of disturbing public peace and undermining the integrity of the political process in Oyo State.”
He added that the cleric had “persistently approached” him with unsolicited offers of spiritual help “purportedly to guarantee electoral success”.
According to the petition:
“Under this guise, he had on several occasions demanded huge sums of money and expensive spiritual items cumulatively amounting to over ₦150 million.”
Adelabu said that following his refusal, Ayodele embarked on a “malicious campaign of false prophecies”, including declaring publicly that “God told him the minister will not win the election”.
He continued:
“Primate Ayodele’s continued propagation of these false prophecies… now pose a threat not only to the minister’s reputation but also to public order and confidence in the democratic process.”
He urged the DSS to investigate the cleric for extortion, blackmail, and dissemination of inciting information, and to compel him to apologise and retract his statements.
The minister also filed a similar petition with the Oyo State Commissioner of Police.
Ayodele Fires Back: ‘I Can Sell My Spiritual Services for Any Amount’
Meanwhile, Primate Ayodele denied all allegations when contacted by TheCable. He insisted that Adelabu was the one who initiated contact through emissaries.
“I didn’t blackmail him. We didn’t have any transaction. Again, no money was exchanged between us,” he said.
Ayodele admitted discussing “terms” with Adelabu but maintained that he made no attempt at extortion.
He added:
“I can sell my services for any amount. I can value it at ₦1 billion as much as I provide the value he wants. It’s nobody’s business.”
The cleric questioned why Adelabu approached him initially if he did not believe in his spiritual authenticity.
“Why did you come to me in the first place if you didn’t believe in me? What are you doing with someone you claim is dishing out fake prophecies?”
He concluded:
“I’m big. I’m not poor. I take care of vulnerable people. I’m blessed in the Lord.”
