The founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has denied allegations that he demanded N150m and other costly items from the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, in exchange for spiritual support to secure the Oyo State governorship.
Ayodele was reacting to a petition written against him by Adelabu to the Department of State Services, accusing the cleric of blackmail, fake prophecies and repeated demands for money and expensive “spiritual items”.
In the petition dated October 13, 2025, and signed by the minister’s media adviser, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu alleged that Ayodele demanded, among other things, 24 All Progressives Congress flags and 1,000 trumpets or saxophones valued at between N50m and N130m as conditions for “divine favour” ahead of the governorship race.
The minister also attached alleged text messages exchanged between them, in which Ayodele was said to have urged him to supply the items within a set deadline, while also instructing him to recite certain religious verses.
Adelabu claimed he declined the requests, citing the high cost, after which the cleric allegedly turned hostile and publicly declared that he would fail politically.
Adelabu, who has contested the Oyo governorship twice and is believed to be nursing another ambition ahead of 2027, described the prophecies as retaliatory and malicious, urging security agencies to investigate Ayodele for extortion, incitement and abuse of religious influence in politics.
He also wrote a similar petition to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police.
However, speaking in response, Ayodele dismissed the allegations, insisting that he never asked the minister for money or attempted to blackmail him.
“I didn’t ask him for money. We didn’t have any transaction. No money exchanged hands,” the cleric said.
“He was the one who reached out to me through people because he was desperate to become governor. What business do you have with someone you claim gives fake prophecies?”
Ayodele argued that even if he chose to charge for spiritual services, he had the right to do so, stressing that Adelabu was never compelled to meet any request.
He also described the controversial request for trumpets as symbolic, insisting it was not meant for his church.
His spokesperson, Osho Oluwatosin, in a statement, further claimed that the minister merely asked to verify the cost of the musical instruments and later backed out on his own.
Ayodele maintained that his prophecy about Adelabu’s political struggles predated their interaction, insisting that his pronouncements were not influenced by money.
“I don’t make prophecies because of money. God has blessed me already,” he said.
The dispute has sparked renewed public debate over the growing intersection of religion and politics, as security agencies are yet to publicly comment on the petitions before them.
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