Primate Ayodele Warns Nigerians Against Risking Lives For Politicians

Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has urged Nigerians, particularly young people, not to risk their lives or engage in violence on behalf of politicians during elections.

Ayodele issued the warning in a TikTok video on Monday, cautioning political supporters against allowing politicians to manipulate them into fighting or committing acts of violence for financial gain.

The cleric argued that politicians from different parties often maintain relationships despite rivalry among their supporters, leaving ordinary citizens to bear the consequences of political conflicts.

“Nigerians especially, don’t die for politicians. Tinubu and Atiku, they are friends. You only fight and fight and fight and fight and kill yourself,” he said.

Ayodele warned young Nigerians against accepting money from politicians to engage in violence, stressing that such individuals would be left to face the consequences if they were injured, arrested or killed.

“Don’t kill yourself. Election is coming soon. Don’t let them use you because of N1m or N500,000 they will give you,” he said.

He also urged Nigerians not to allow political differences to destroy relationships, noting that politicians who contest fiercely against one another could eventually reconcile after elections.

“You lost, your family lost. Adeleke, Oyetola, they will greet themselves. They will do padi padi thing,” he said.

The cleric described politicians as “use and dump,” arguing that supporters who make sacrifices for political figures are often abandoned after elections.

“Stop fighting or die because of these politicians. Politicians, they are use and dump,” Ayodele said.

He extended his warning to religious leaders, saying politicians could also use pastors and other influential figures to advance their political interests before abandoning them when they were no longer useful.

Ayodele further questioned whether political leaders would expose their own children or family members to the same risks they encourage supporters to take.

“Can they send their children to war on any of their families? And yet they will not help you,” he said.

He, therefore, advised young Nigerians involved in politics to be cautious, avoid blindly defending political figures and prioritise their safety and future over political loyalty, stressing that no politician was worth losing one’s life for.