Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Oke Afa, Lagos, has denied trying to extort N150 million from Bayo Adelabu, Nigeria’s Minister of Power.
Adelabu had petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS), claiming that Ayodele attempted to blackmail him and demanded a large sum for “spiritual intercession” to help him become governor of Oyo State.
Bayo Adelabu, who has run twice for the governorship, has announced plans to contest again in 2027.
According to the minister, Ayodele allegedly made false prophecies to damage his reputation after he refused to meet demands that included money, 24 APC flags, and hundreds of musical instruments, including trumpets or saxophones costing between N50 million and N130 million, depending on quality.
Adelabu said the cleric then prophesied he would never become governor because he had refused.
In his response, Ayodele, through his media aide Osho Oluwatosin, denied asking Adelabu for N150 million.
He explained that the only discussion about costs was related to the musical instruments, and he simply gave the minister an estimate and suggested sending someone to check market prices.
Ayodele said he told Adelabu that obtaining the governorship ticket could be difficult, and that seeking God’s favor through the purchase of the instruments might help.
However, the minister refused, and Ayodele stressed that the request was never meant to benefit his church or himself personally.
“I didn’t ask Bayo Adelabu to bring money for prayers. I told him to ask someone from his end to go to the market and find out how much the said trumpet cost, while someone follows them from my end too.
“His personal assistant, himself, and the person he sent to me put me under so much pressure because he was desperate for governorship,” Ayodele said.
The cleric added, “He was the one who sent someone to me to talk to me on his behalf. He went as far as saying he was willing to give anything to become the next governor of Oyo State, and the only thing I told him was to get the trumpets for his own good.
“I told him that they won’t want to give him the governorship ticket, but if he wants it so bad, he should seek the mercy of God by buying the musical instruments for God, not even for my church, but he said he can’t do it. That’s all.”
He added that Adelabu even offered to give anything to win the governorship, but Ayodele maintained that buying the instruments was for spiritual purposes, not for his gain.
Ayodele said he has long spoken about Adelabu’s ambition and consistently told him that becoming governor would depend on God’s grace, not because he refused to meet any demand.
“I have been talking about how he won’t be made governor of Oyo State for years; this is why he called me to seek solutions. I have never spoken to him before till he sent people to me and personally requested my spiritual help,” he said.
”I don’t make prophecies to make money. I am blessed already, and my subsequent prophecies after our discussion about his ambition aren’t because he failed to buy the musical instrument. It can never be.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Adebayo Adelabu said that Nigerians will begin to enjoy a steady supply of electricity before President Bola Tinubu’s term ends in 2027.
