Primate Elijah Ayodele, the leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is confused over how to handle the sensitive issue of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking in a prophetic message on Friday from 04:20, Ayodele noted that Tinubu’s indecision on whether to release Kanu or keep him in custody poses political risks that could affect his administration and his chances in future elections.
“This one, as God reveals, Tinubu is confused about the Nnamdi Kanu matter. He’s confused,” Ayodele declared. “Either you release Nnamdi Kanu, you don’t release Nnamdi Kanu. If you want to win, that’s when you will, either you win or you lose. Either way, Nnamdi Kanu will not support you.”
The fiery cleric, who is known for political prophecies and warnings, stressed that the Kanu issue remains a burden for Tinubu and could deepen divisions in the country if not addressed with clarity. He suggested that the matter will remain a stumbling block in Tinubu’s presidency.
“Tinubu is in a dilemma,” Ayodele continued. “He doesn’t know what to do with Nnamdi Kanu. If he frees him, it has consequences. If he keeps him, it also has consequences. But one thing is clear: Nnamdi Kanu will not support him.”
Ayodele also weighed in on traditional leadership tussles, predicting continued supremacy battles among prominent emirs and traditional rulers in Nigeria. He particularly mentioned the unresolved tensions between Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and his rival, Adobairo.
“Emir Sanusi will not support Tinubu,” Ayodele said. “And the fight between Emir and Adobairo still continues. It’s going to be like supremacy between Onyia and Alafin. So what is coming between Onyia and Alafin? Nothing they can. It’s always coming between them. Nobody can stop that. It’s going to be continuous fight.”
His comments highlight two pressing challenges: the political implications of Nnamdi Kanu’s prolonged detention and the traditional power struggles that often spill into the political space.
The IPOB leader, who has been in detention since his re-arrest in 2021, remains a rallying point for separatist agitation in Nigeria’s southeast. Several groups and political leaders have called for his release, while the federal government has maintained that his case is a matter for the courts.
Ayodele warned that Tinubu’s inability to resolve the Kanu issue decisively could worsen distrust in his government, particularly in the southeast. “There is confusion around him,” he said. “This will test his leadership.”
On the emirate battles, Ayodele suggested that Nigeria’s traditional institutions will continue to experience rivalries that no political authority can fully resolve. “It is supremacy. It is ego. It will continue. Nobody can stop it,” he emphasized.
