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LAGOS, Nigeria (September 11, 2026) — Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has criticised Nigerian bishops who recently endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, saying their support stems from personal interest rather than divine instruction and warning the president against being swayed by it.

In a statement issued Friday by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Ayodele said the bishops’ backing was driven by a desire for material benefit. “Bishops endorsing President Tinubu are hungry and looking for what to eat. They didn’t do that endorsement because they love Tinubu but because they need some things from him. They just want to secure their next meal, and that is why they are singing the praises of the president,” he said, adding that Tinubu “must exercise caution before expressing joy over the endorsement because it is totally fake.”

Ayodele went further in rejecting any suggestion that the endorsements carried spiritual weight. “They are not doing it based on divine orders or God’s direction; there is no way God would give such direction. They are only lying on God’s name because of food; it’s such a bad thing that these bishops reduced the name of God to this level,” he said. He extended similar criticism to politicians publicly endorsing Tinubu, alleging their support was likewise driven by self-interest and warning that such figures could abandon the president if their expectations went unmet.

The cleric maintained that endorsements alone would not secure Tinubu a second term, arguing that only his administration’s performance would determine the outcome. “Endorsements mean nothing; it is only his activities that can either secure or make him lose a second term in office,” he said, urging the president to focus on governance rather than public displays of support.

Background

Ayodele’s remarks came two days after the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria formally endorsed Tinubu for re-election at its 2026 synod on September 9. President-General of the conference, Archbishop Leonard Bature Kawas, said the endorsement followed the bishops’ assessment of Tinubu’s administration, citing in particular what he described as the president’s inclusive approach to appointments despite lingering controversy over the Muslim-Muslim ticket he ran on in 2023.

The endorsement has drawn separate criticism from human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, who called it an “unfortunate development” that sets a troubling precedent for religious institutions wading into partisan politics, arguing that elections are temporary while houses of worship remain permanent fixtures in their communities.

Neither the Charismatic Bishops Conference nor the Presidency had responded to Ayodele’s specific remarks as of this report.

This is a developing story.