Nigerian Religious Leader Warns Tinubu of Internal Threats Ahead of 2027 Election
A prominent Nigerian cleric has alerted President Bola Tinubu to significant internal political risks within his own party as he prepares for a potential second-term campaign in 2027. Primate Elijah Ayodele, Leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, stated that not all governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are fully committed to the president’s re-election bid.
In a statement disseminated via his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele characterised the loyalty of some APC governors as precarious, using the phrase “one leg in and one leg out” to describe their ambiguous allegiance. He cautioned that without concerted and difficult political efforts, the president faces the prospect of betrayal in several key northern states.
The cleric specifically identified Katsina, Kebbi, Gombe, Adamawa, Kaduna, and Benue as states where the president must undertake “serious homework” to secure victory, asserting that betrayal is likely there. He also highlighted Kaduna as particularly challenging and noted Kano as a state that requires firm handling to prevent disloyalty. The statement further alleged that opposition figures, referencing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, are engaged in “serious underground work” in the northern region, nearing potential deals with undecided governors.
Conversely, Primate Ayodele pointed to Taraba, Niger, Sokoto, and Borno as states he described as “standing strong for the president,” advising the administration not to take them for granted.
This public advisory from a widely followed prophetic figure enters Nigeria’s burgeoning political landscape for the 2027 election. It underscores the persistent challenge of maintaining cohesive party control across Nigeria’s diverse federal states, particularly in the politically pivotal north. The statement amplifies existing narratives of subtle realignments and conditional loyalties among state-level APC executives, suggesting the president’s re-election strategy must prioritise intensive state-by-state consolidation to counteract internal fissures and opposition inroads. The cleric’s comments serve as an early, high-profile signal of the complex coalition management required for Tinubu’s declared ambition to secure a second term.
