The Oyo State Voluntary Campaigners (OSVC) has strongly criticized Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, accusing him of using prophecies as a tool to financially exploit politicians.

The group's reaction comes following Ayodele's recent prophecy claiming that Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, would find it difficult to become Governor of Oyo State in the upcoming 2027 elections.

In an interview released on Sunday, Primate Ayodele had stated: "In Oyo, there's growing unrest. Muslims are preparing for a political showdown. The people of Oke-Ogun will challenge Ibadan's dominance. Adebayo Adelabu cannot become governor."

In a statement made available to the press on Monday, OSVC Chairman Dr. Dele Atiba described Ayodele as an "attention seeker who specializes in spiritual gambling and fake prophecies." The group further characterized the cleric as a "spiritual gambler whose stomach is his god."

"Evidence has it that the cleric's fake prophecies are always targeted towards politicians with the aim of financially exploiting them, hoping that they would fall for his manipulation," Atiba stated.

The OSVC chairman highlighted what he described as inconsistencies in Ayodele's prophecies, noting: "In 2022, he prophesied that President Bola Tinubu would not win his election. He has come again to say that PBAT is who the people should vote for in 2027."

The group warned that if the cleric continues with what they termed as "blackmail disguised as prophecy," they would report him to appropriate authorities, claiming they possess "overwhelming evidence of his blackmail activities."

Atiba urged residents of Oyo State to disregard prophecies released by Primate Ayodele, concluding that "God is not man, and definitely, Primate Ayodele will never be His face in choosing His anointed for Oyo State."

As the 2027 gubernatorial race in Oyo State begins to take shape, this exchange highlights the increasing intersection of religious prophecies and political discourse in Nigerian politics.