The spiritual leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has stated that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election in 2026 is assured barring electoral manipulation. Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Ayodele asserted that the governor’s performance and connection with the populace make him unbeatable in a free and fair contest.
Ayodele emphasized that a governor’s effectiveness is tied to direct engagement with citizens. “When you are a governor you must be closer to the people and you must do well,” he said. “I can tell you for free that except there is rigging, it’s still Ademola Adeleke. If they don’t rig Adeleke will win.”
Governor Adeleke, who took office in 2022 after a contentious court battle that saw his initial election victory affirmed, now faces the midway point of his term. Ayodele’s prediction places the incumbent’s fate squarely on the integrity of the upcoming electoral process. The clergyman’s statements carry significant weight in parts of Nigeria’s political landscape, where religious figures often influence public discourse.
The pronouncement arrives as Nigeria’s state executives navigate economic pressures and security challenges, with gubernatorial elections in Osun and other states scheduled for 2026. Ayodele’s framing suggests that the central issue is not the governor’s policy record but the potential for malpractice, a persistent concern in Nigerian elections.
Separately, during the same address, Ayodele called for the establishment of a “Nigerian Thanksgiving Day,” urging that President Bola Tinubu be advised appropriately on the matter. This proposal, distinct from his electoral analysis, reflects the clergyman’s periodic advocacy for national policy initiatives.
The forecast now sets a rhetorical benchmark for the 2026 Osun race: Adeleke’s campaign will likely toutAyodele’s endorsement as validation of his grassroots appeal, while opponents may focus their criticism on the Electoral Commission’s ability to prevent rigging. The statements underscore the continuing intersection of prophecy, politics, and public expectation in Nigeria’s democratic process, with the cleric positioning electoral integrity as the sole variable that could alter the predicted outcome.
