Primate Elijah Ayodele, spiritual head of the spiritual head of the Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, has told the Bola Tinubu administration that the American government has set a trap for him.

Primate Ayodele spoke recently in a viral video posted on his church's official Facebook page. The video was seen by Legit.ng.

Primate Ayodel shares counsel with Tinubu

According to the cleric, President Tinubu should be extra-careful in his interactions with the United States (US).

He said: “Tinubu, American government set a trap for you. Watch so that you will not enter that trap.”

Nigeria–United States relations

Legit.ng reports that emerging from an earlier tradition of bilateral oil diplomacy, both countries have diversified their oil trades over the last decade, but the United States remains a major market for Nigerian exports, almost entirely in crude oil.

The US is also the primary foreign investor in Nigeria and a significant source of foreign aid. Over a million Nigerians and Nigerian Americans live, study, and work in the United States.

While over 25,000 Americans live, and work in Nigeria. There are many Nigerian diaspora organisations in the US that help the political and economic empowerment of the people of Nigerian descent outside of the African country. Complementing these formal economic links are a large volume of family remittances from the US' large Nigerian American population. Yet Nigeria's oil resources and importance for regional stability have tended to counteract any strong dependence on the US, reducing the latter's leverage and necessitating a relationship built on mutual respect and pragmatic mutual advantage.

In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 74% of Nigerians reportedly had positive views of the US, with 20% expressing a negative view.

In April, President Tinubu received Massad Boulos, a senior advisor for Africa and state department representative from President Trump’s administration.

During the meeting, both sides discussed actionable support and shared their perspectives on regional peace.

President Tinubu went on to reiterate Nigeria’s readiness to build productive alliances with the US.