Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder and leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke Afa, Lagos, states that he did not try to extort Bayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power.

Recent reports emerged claiming that Adelabu petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS), accusing Ayodele of blackmail and attempting to extort N150 million from him for “spiritual intercession” to help him become governor of Oyo State.

Adelabu, who has contested the Oyo governorship election twice, has announced his intention to run again in 2027.

The Minister of Power alleged that Ayodele made false prophecies aimed at damaging his reputation after he rejected all demands from the cleric, who reportedly asked for a large sum of money and costly spiritual items.

Adelabu also stated that Ayodele requested he bring 24 APC flags for prayers. The minister claimed that the cleric also demanded 1,000 saxophones/trumpets, with the least expensive, second-hand Nigerian-grade costing N50 million, and the imported grade-one from China costing N130 million.

The minister said his refusal to comply with Ayodele’s requests led the cleric to prophesy that he would never become Oyo governor.

In a statement signed by Osho Oluwatosin, his media aide, Ayodele denied ever attempting to extort Adelabu of N150 million, clarifying that he never asked the minister to send money apart from purchasing the trumpets.

Ayodele explained that Adelabu inquired about the cost, and he provided a figure while requesting the minister to send someone to the market to verify the prices.

The cleric added that he told Adelabu it might be difficult for him to secure the governorship ticket, but he can seek God's mercy by buying the musical instrument, even though he refused to do so.

“I didn’t ask Bayo Adelabu to bring money for prayers. I told him to ask someone from his end to go to the market and find out how much the said trumpet cost, while someone follows them from my end too. His personal assistant, himself, and the person he sent to me put me under so much pressure because he was desperate for governorship,” Ayodele said.

“He was the one who sent someone to me to talk to me on his behalf. He went as far as saying he was willing to give anything to become the next governor of Oyo State, and the only thing I told him was to get the trumpets for his own good.

“I told him that they won’t want to give him the governorship ticket, but if he wants it so bad, he should seek the mercy of God by buying the musical instruments for God, not even for my church, but he said he can’t do it. That’s all.”

Ayodele said for years, he has been talking about Adelabu’s ambition and has maintained that it would take the grace of God for him to become the governor of Oyo state; hence, it couldn’t have been because the minister refused to yield to his request.

“I have been talking about how he won’t be made governor of Oyo State for years; this is why he called me to seek solutions. I have never spoken to him before till he sent people to me and personally requested my spiritual help,” he said.

”I don’t make prophecies to make money. I am blessed already, and my subsequent prophecies after our discussion about his ambition aren’t because he failed to buy the musical instrument. It can never be.”