The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has criticised Nigerian bishops who recently endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
Ayodele alleged that the bishops were motivated by personal interests and material benefits rather than divine direction.
In a statement by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric urged Tinubu not to be carried away by the endorsements, describing them as insincere.
“Bishops endorsing President Tinubu are hungry and looking for what to eat. They didn’t do that endorsement because they love Tinubu but because they need some things from him. They just want to secure their next meal, and that is why they are singing the praises of the president. The president must exercise caution before expressing joy over the endorsement because it is totally fake.”
Ayodele maintained that the endorsements were not based on what he described as divine instructions from God.
“They are not doing it based on divine orders or God’s direction; there is no way God would give such direction. They are only lying on God’s name because of food; it’s such a bad thing that these bishops reduced the name of God to this level.”
The cleric also extended his criticism to politicians supporting Tinubu’s second term bid, accusing them of acting out of selfish interests.
“Even politicians who are singing the praises of President Tinubu and endorsing him for a second term are not doing it for the love of the president; they are all doing it for selfish interests. They are not different from these bishops.”
He added that some of those currently supporting the president could withdraw their backing if their expectations were not met.
“If President Tinubu doesn’t give them what they want, they will be the first people to turn against him and endorse another person.”
Ayodele further advised Tinubu not to rely on endorsements as a guarantee of victory in the 2027 presidential election.
“President Tinubu must know that endorsements cannot get him anywhere near a second term if he doesn’t perform well for the people. Endorsements mean nothing; it is only his activities that can either secure or make him lose a second term in office. It would be better if he buckled up and put his house in order instead of allowing these endorsements to get into his head.”
