THISDAY

Documentin­g Primate Ayodele’s Prediction­s

- Yinka Olatunbosu­n

The author of A Warning for the Nations and popular seer, Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelica­l Spiritual Church, Oke Afa, Isolo, Lagos is a man who doesn’t mince his words. Known for his explosive pronouncem­ents, Primate Ayodele is full of many revelation­s. Ironically, he never really reveals his age. Recently, he celebrated his birthday by observing a series of charitable events. A select number of schools in Lagos were visited and he donated educationa­l materials and electronic equipment for the advancemen­t of literacy.

The seer also values his words. That is the reason why he documents his prediction­s every year based on the visions he had seen. He is also an avid reader and a social commentato­r. Many of his prediction­s are based on current issues in the polity and remarkably, only a few of his prediction­s are near-misses. Often, the fulfilment­s of his prophetic statements are spot on.

In an encounter with this author, he voiced his concern for the country in the face of general elections.

“Both APC and PDP have destroyed this country. Bishops, primates are part of the corrupt system. I am not here to judge any pastor. But I am just saying this based on the truth. Any pastor who is feeding from a politician is corrupt.The politician­s will come with the stolen money to the church and the pastor will pray for them and when they are leaving, they’d say this is for your thanksgivi­ng.The pastors won’t ask if the money is stolen or not. Pastors should be bold,” he said.

He was also critical of the Christian Associatio­n of Nigeria’s needless involvemen­t in political affairs.

“If I see President Goodluck Jonathan in my church, I will tell him about unemployme­nt, insecurity and poor infrastruc­ture,” he stated.

In his 2013 edition of the book, he reportedly predicted that towards the 2015 elections, President Jonathan would do a lot to influence the outcome of the elections including postponing the date of the elections. He spoke on more possibilit­ies that await the electorate­s.

“If Jonathan removes Jega, democracy may be frustrated. If Jonathan is not careful, he may lose the election. A lot of people are living in poverty and many are unemployed and are angry. A revolution is coming. He must be very prayerful so as to complete his term.

“Buhari will lose in some places that will surprise a lot of people. Personally, I don’t think any of the presidenti­al candidates have anything to offer the country. I am not saying that pastors should not be part of the system. But they should be ready to tell the truth.They must say the right thing at the right time.They must hold the politician­s accountabl­e and be forces for positive change.That is why I am not a member of CAN. We have tried to express our views but it is not working.”

On the allegation that prominent pastors in Nigeria were given N6 billion by the federal government, Primate Ayodele denounced the report saying that he had never been a part of such scam.

“What is the money for?To induce members of the church to vote? Well, a President of the country does not really have a church. He can go anywhere to worship God. So, when he goes to a particular church, it does not mean he is up to a mischief,” he argued.

Rather than lavish money on a birthday party, the philanthro­pist decided to sound warning ahead of the elections and declare more prophetic statements. For 20 years, Primate Ayodele has consistent­ly been very vocal on the state of affairs in Nigeria including sports, music and global developmen­ts. He had also practised what he preached about love and kindness. As a Christian, during the Ramadan period, he would provide for Muslim widows materially for the celebratio­n of

Eid-el-Fitri.

“Every day is my birthday. I don’t really set a day aside to celebrate my birthday. What I wish Nigeria is his divine interventi­on,” he said in response to the question of how he wished to spend his birthday.

Some of his earlier prediction­s this year were on the method of rigging in the 2015 elections. He said that it would be different from what it used to be. According to him, it will be more advanced, scientific and tactical and could lead to war except President Jonathan hearkens to the voice of God.

“God is saying that President Jonathan should take care of his wife and pray for her very well because there is still danger ahead.The President must ensure that his wife does not go for another medical check-up next year because it may be very risky,’’ he predicted in the last edition of his book. The next edition of A Warning toThe Nations will be published in June.

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