Minister of Power, Prophet Ayodele fight over alleged extortion allegations

Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu and the founder and Head of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, are locked in a battle of wits.

While the minister is accusing the prophet of attempted extortion, blackmail, and using false prophecies to tarnish his public image, Ayodele on the other hand is pushing back, alleging Adelabu sought spiritual help from him.

Adelabu, who has already declared interest in contesting the 2027 Oyo State governorship election, levelled the allegations in a petition dated October 13, 2025, and addressed to the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The petition was signed by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji.

According to Adelabu, Primate Ayodele persistently approached him with unsolicited offers of “spiritual support” allegedly required to guarantee his victory in the 2027 governorship race.

Adelabu said the cleric demanded over N150 million, including money and expensive “spiritual items”, to make him governor of Oyo State.

In text messages between the minister and the cleric — published by The Star, an online newspaper — Ayodele allegedly requested 24 All Progressives Congress (APC) flags for prayers, as well as 1,000 trumpets or saxophones.

The Nigerian fairly-used grade totalled N50 million, while grade-one imported versions were said to cost N130 million.

Ayodele allegedly asked that the items be delivered on April 1 and later extended the deadline to April 4.

In the messages, he repeatedly claimed his instructions came from God and insisted that Adelabu would “rule Oyo State,” urging him to perform religious recitations and attend midnight vigils.

The minister, however, rejected the demands, stating he could not afford the items and would not base his political ambition on spiritual manipulation.

Adelabu said following his refusal, Ayodele allegedly began releasing public prophecies declaring that the minister would fail in his governorship bid.

The cleric, in videos, was seen accusing the minister of “making mistakes” and insisted that his warnings were divinely inspired. He also challenged Adelabu to arrest or sue him.

In his petition to the DSS, Adelabu described the cleric’s actions as extortive, malicious, and capable of inciting public unrest.

He said the false prophecies were retaliatory and intended to undermine his credibility.

The petition obtained by The Star on Friday read: “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, of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, whose actions have become not only personally distressing to the Honourable Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, but also capable of disturbing public peace and undermining the integrity of the political process in Oyo State.

“Since his tenure as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and particularly in the period leading up to his current aspiration to serve as the Governor of Oyo State, this individual had persistently approached him with unsolicited offers of “spiritual intercession” purportedly to guarantee electoral success.

“Under this guise, he had on several occasions demanded huge sums of money and expensive spiritual items, cumulatively amounting to over N150 million (One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira), as purported prerequisites for divine favour. The Minister had consistently declined his requests, believing that his political ambition is driven by genuine service to the people and not by any spiritual manipulation or fetish practice.

“Following the Honourable Minister’s refusal to accede to his extortionate demands, Primate Ayodele has embarked on a campaign of malicious and false prophecies targeted at discrediting him publicly. He has gone as far as declaring through various media channels that “God told him he will not win the election,” and has recently made more provocative and inciting statements suggesting that he would fail because of his association with the ‘Èmi Lòkan’ slogan ”

However, Primate Ayodele denied allegations describing the claims as false and misleading-

Ayodele, in a statement issued on Friday by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, said he never asked Adelabu for money, insisting that the request for trumpets was not for personal gain but a spiritual recommendation meant for the minister’s own benefit.

According to the cleric, it was Adelabu who asked about the cost of the trumpets, prompting him to provide a price estimate while advising the minister to independently verify the cost from the market.

Ayodele alleged that Adelabu and members of his team — including his personal assistant — pressured him repeatedly, claiming the minister was “desperate” to secure the Oyo State governorship seat.

He said: “I didn’t ask Bayo Adelabu to bring money for prayers. I simply told him to send someone to the market to check the price of the trumpet while someone from my end accompanies them. His personal assistant, himself, and the person he sent to me put me under serious pressure because he was desperate for the governorship.

“He even said he was willing to give anything to become the next governor of Oyo State.”

The cleric stated that he informed Adelabu he was unlikely to secure the governorship ticket and advised him to seek divine mercy by purchasing the musical instruments — not for his church, but as an act of spiritual obedience.

Ayodele said Adelabu declined, and the matter ended there.

“I told him they wouldn’t want to give him the ticket, but if he wanted it so badly, he should seek God’s mercy by buying the musical instruments for God—not for my church,” he added.

Ayodele also maintained that he had long prophesied that Adelabu’s governorship bid would require divine grace, noting that his prophecies were not influenced by the minister’s refusal to buy the trumpet.

Ayodele stated: “I have said for years that it would take divine grace for him to become governor of Oyo State. That is why he reached out to me.

“I never spoke with him until he sent people to me and personally sought spiritual help. I don’t make prophecies for money; I am already blessed. My prophecies after our discussion had nothing to do with the trumpet.”