2027: Only Northerners Will Decide Tinubu’s Fate — Primate Ayodele

Leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has said President Bola Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term in office in 2027 elections will be determined largely by the North, not by support from the South-West, or the Syi Tinubu-led City Boys Movement.

Ayodele made the remark while addressing his church members captured in a video circulating on social media on Tuesday, where he argued that the political calculations ahead of the next presidential election would ultimately rest in the hands of Northern voters and power blocs.

“Northerners have not started with Tinubu; they are the ones who will decide his future,” Ayodele said.

He went further to downplay the influence of ethnic solidarity from the Yoruba-speaking South-West geo-political zone, saying even overwhelming support from Tinubu’s home region would not be enough to guarantee victory for the President.

“One billion Yorubas cannot decide Tinubu’s future; that maybe Tinubu will win, the Northerners will decide, and their decision is for him not to win,” he said.

In the video, the cleric also appeared to dismiss the relevance of political branding and street-level mobilisation, often associated with pro-Tinubu support groups, especially the one founded by his son, Seyi Tinubu, the “City Boys” Movement, among others.

“All the noise they are making with Yoruba, come out with City Boys, come out with any boys you want to come out with, City Boys will not make you to win,” he said.

“56 boys will not make you to win, Northerners will decide the future of Tinubu’s second term,” he added.

Ayodele’s remarks came at a time when political realignments were already gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, especially against the backdrop of the increasing opposition to Tinubu’s return by Northerners over worsening insecurity and standard of living in the region.