Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has rejected claims that he attempted to extort N150 million from the Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, insisting the amount is insignificant to him.
Ayodele spoke on Sunday during a church service at Oke Afa, Lagos, where he reacted to a report detailing Adelabu’s petition to the Department of State Services (DSS).
In the petition, the minister accused the cleric of blackmail and demanding money for “spiritual intercession” ahead of the Oyo State governorship race.
Adelabu, who has contested the Oyo governorship twice and is eyeing another attempt in 2027, alleged that Ayodele demanded items including 1,000 saxophones or trumpets, valued between N50 million and N130 million, depending on quality. He claimed his refusal to comply triggered unfavourable prophecies meant to damage his political ambition.
Responding during the service, Ayodele dismissed the allegation, describing Adelabu as “a boy” who “doesn’t understand what he is saying,” and suggesting the minister’s frustration stemmed from his belief that he would lose the election again.
“The shoe I wear, can N150 million buy it?” Ayodele asked. “Can N150 million buy my car?”
The cleric maintained that he neither invited Adelabu nor collected any money from him. “If I collected money, I would openly say I collected money. But I did not collect money, and I did not invite him,” he said.
Ayodele added that he does not issue prophecies to please people or attract patronage. “I am not doing prophecies to impress you or invite you to me. Take it, or you leave it,” he said.
He further insisted that Adelabu approached him out of desperation. “He knows he has lost, that’s why he is pained,” Ayodele said, urging his followers to ignore the minister’s claims.
