₦150m Can’t Buy My Shoe, Primate Ayodele Fires Back at Adelabu Over Extortion Claim

Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has strongly rejected allegations by the Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, that he attempted to extort ₦150 million from him, describing the claim as baseless and misleading.

The controversy followed reports that Adelabu submitted a petition to the Department of State Services (DSS), alleging that the cleric demanded he procure about 1,000 trumpets estimated at ₦150 million.

The minister reportedly claimed that his refusal to comply prompted a prophecy suggesting he would fail in his bid to become governor of Oyo State.

Responding in a statement released by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele denied ever asking for money from the minister. He clarified that at no point did he demand ₦150 million, stressing that the issue of trumpets was raised strictly as a spiritual recommendation, not a financial request.

According to the cleric, Adelabu was the one who inquired about the cost of the musical instruments, and he only gave an estimated figure while advising that independent checks be conducted in the market.

He added that the minister was encouraged to send a representative to confirm the prices, accompanied by someone from the church.

Primate Ayodele further alleged that Adelabu, his personal assistant and another intermediary exerted pressure on him at the time, driven by the minister’s intense desire to clinch the Oyo governorship ticket.

“I never asked Bayo Adelabu to bring money for prayers,” Ayodele said. “I only advised him to send people to the market to verify the price of the trumpets. He and those around him were desperate because of his ambition to become governor.”

The cleric claimed that Adelabu, through emissaries, expressed readiness to do anything necessary to achieve his political goal. He stated that his only counsel was for the minister to obtain the trumpets, which he said were meant for Adelabu’s personal spiritual benefit and not for his church.

Ayodele explained that he had cautioned Adelabu about the difficulty of securing the governorship ticket and advised seeking divine mercy, but the minister declined the suggestion. “I told him they might not give him the ticket, and if he truly wanted it, he should seek God’s mercy by buying the musical instruments—not for my church—but he refused,” he said.

The INRI leader maintained that his prophecies regarding Adelabu’s political future were not influenced by the trumpet issue, noting that he had consistently spoken about the minister’s challenges long before their interaction. “I don’t make prophecies for money. I am already blessed,” Ayodele said, insisting that his spiritual declarations were independent of Adelabu’s decision and could not be linked to any alleged extortion attempt.