The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned President Bola Tinubu against relying on political allies ahead of the 2027 presidential election, predicting that some prominent figures around him could turn against him two weeks before the poll.
Ayodele said the president should look beyond the celebrations, public endorsements and defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that such displays might not translate into genuine loyalty at the ballot box.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric questioned the sincerity of some members of the APC presidential council inaugurated ahead of the election.
He alleged that several people around Tinubu were more interested in celebrating with him than ensuring his political success.
The cleric also cautioned the president against assuming that politicians defecting to the APC would automatically strengthen his re-election campaign.
“Even those defecting to the APC will be a burden on your re-election bid. Don’t celebrate it. It’s a means to cover your sight,” Ayodele said.
He urged Tinubu to distinguish between genuine supporters and those he claimed were positioning themselves for personal benefits.
According to the cleric, some political associates whom the president had helped could eventually betray him, while others might deliberately prevent him from receiving honest advice.
“People who surround you will not want you to see the truth, and they will drive good people away from you because of their selfish interests,” he warned.
Ayodele further argued that the president’s campaign team needed to intensify its efforts in northern Nigeria, insisting that public displays of support should not distract the APC from the work required ahead of the election.
“Forget all these dances and praises; there is a lot to do in the North, and your campaign team is yet to capture the North,” he said.
The cleric urged Tinubu to take what he described as decisive steps before the final weeks of the campaign, warning that some allies could reveal their true intentions shortly before election day.
His remarks come amid preparations by political parties and their candidates for the 2027 general election. However, his prediction of a possible betrayal remains an attributed claim and has not been independently established.