For a long while now, there hs been this unfounded impression about Primate Ayodele. Some have said that he has an axe to grind with the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They say that he has always criticised Tinubu and never supported his presidential ambition nor endorsed his emergence as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If you ask anyone that knows Primate Ayodele well enough, they will tell you that nothing can be farther from the truth. Primate Elijah Ayodele is certainly not that kind of personality that will use the word of God to fight perceived enemies. He does not even believe he has enemies. As far as he is concerned, Asiwaju Bola Ahymed Tinubu is someone who needs his prayers not his hatred.
Typical of Primate Ayodele, he does not speak with any fear or favour. He says things the way he deems fit, not giving a hoot who will be offended by his statement. He stands by his prophecy that says Tinubu is not God’s plan for Nigeria. In this interview with City People Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209390), Primate Ayodele explains what he thinks of the impression people have about him regarding Tinubu and why he can never bring himself to hating the presaident.
What do you say to this impression that some people have out there that you don’t like the president? Some members of the APC even say so, and they wonder what the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did to you that you do not seem to favour him in your prophecies?
I am a prophet, I have nothing to gain by disliking anybody. I am a friend to all. My activity as a prophet is different from my character. God does not care who you like or who you don’t like, he will simply ask you to go to this person and deliver the message he sent you. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like the person. I don’t have any hatred for Tinubu. I only say things the way the almighty God has directed me to say them. I have a lot of people who are close to him that are also close to me. They tell me to pray for him and I pray for him. But the things I said are what God said to me and I stand by them. And anything I say, there are always records to show for it. I pray for him in my private moments because whether we like it or not, he is the president of this country. And I’m not saying this to gain any favour from him, far from it. I am not interested in any favour from him or trying to look for ways to reach him, no. But I will always pray for him. He needs our prayers. And that will not stop me from saying whatever God asks me to say to him. I don’t hate him, I am not that kind of person. Those who hold such impression of me, that’s their problem. One of the issues I have with people is that when we make prophecies, they don’t keep records of them. They don’t even believe these things will happen.
For instance, when we said last year that Adamu will be removed as APC chairman, Adamu did not know that he would be removed as APC chairman. So, imagine if Adamu now says Primate Ayodele doesn’t like him, it’s ridiculous. Now, it has happened. Let me tell you, this is just the beginning of the problems of APC. The moment APC zones the chairmanship of the party to south east, the party will have lots of problems technically, politicially, spiritually. Now, imagine if the eastern part of the country now says Primate Ayodele doesn’t love them. That is their own cup of tea. I am not interested in that. What is important to me is to be answerable to God and not man. Anything God says I should say, I say it and I do not even want to look at your face. If you’re the one building house for me, don’t build it again. If you’re the one helping me, don’t help me again. I am not indebted to anybody, that’s how it is. So, its only people whose hearts are not pure that will be having such thoughts about me hating Tinubu. I do not hate the man, I have nothing against him.
Those of us journalists that have been privileged to interact with you several times will remember that there have been times you have offered Governor Sanwo-Olu spiritual advice and you have even issued prophecies that have been favourable to him in the past. But some people still see you as a PDP person, so to speak. What do you say to those who think you are distancing yourself from the Lagos state giovernment, what do you say to this, sir?
The way I speak truth to APC is the same way I speak truth to PDP. So, its now up to you to act on the things I say to you. As far as I am concerned, I don’t hate anybody. I pray for Lagos state and even those who are not even my friend. When something happened in Osun state not long ago, during the governorship election, I said the person that I wanted to win the election is Oyetola because I like Oyetola. Say anything you want to say, I am not bothered. And I will tell you that is a personal declaration. And no matter what, I will still defend what I said. During the last governorship election in Lagos state, I made it clear that Sanwo-Olu was going to win. I have never asked Sanwo-Olu for anything and he has never given me anything either. But I said what I said because that was exactly what I saw. That was the best person that I saw that would be capable enough to handle the affairs of Lagos state. I said something sometime ago when Ambode and Sanwo-Olu were campaigning for governorship and there was so much bad blood. I said to Ambode, there is something we call tomorrow, I said wait for tomorrow, because tomorrow will bring you out today. Has that not happened now? And it happened through the person that they believe is his enemy. Many people believe that Sanwo-Olu is Ambode’s enemy, meanwhile he is not. For me, I don’t have any enemy. I don’t have problem with any politician because for me, there is no enmity in christendom. So, I don’t hate politicians, I don’t hate anybody, I only hate what God hates.
You have spoken several times about the internal crisis in the APC…
The sudden resignation of Adamu is the beginning of the problem. Many who worked for APC will not be rewarded. It’s those that will be decamping to APC that will be given opportunities in the government. A lot of things will go wrong. And you know, when it comes to election, there will always be rigging. It’s those who have the spirit that will win. For Bayelsa, if the governor does the right thing and all that is needful, nobody will get him out of that office. In Imo state, PDP and Labour Party have to work hard to unseat Uzodinma. The man is ontop of the game over there in Imo. The man is ready with everything. Labour Party and PDP have a lot to do if they really want to defeat him. And for Kogi state too, APC is ready. It’s Yahaya Bello that the others will be facing not the APC governorship candidate. Yahaya Bello is ready with everything to win the election for his successor. He won’t even make any noise. But he knows exactly what he needs to do to win the election.
