Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has issued a stark warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu about an impending crisis if the government fails to address the needs of Nigerian youths.

In a statement released on Friday through his spokesman, Oluwatosin Osho, Ayodele claimed that Nigerian youths are "planning something heavy" against Tinubu's administration, which could manifest as widespread protests stemming from growing frustration with the current government.

"The youths are planning a surge against Tinubu's government, they want to protest against the economy, election, and some other things frustrating them," Ayodele stated. "I want the president to make a strong move on the youth matter so it won't cause his government problems."

Call for Urgent Youth Empowerment

The cleric emphasized that the president must create employment opportunities and empowerment programs for youths before May 2026 to stabilize his government. He urged Tinubu to better utilize the youth minister to reach out to young Nigerians across the country.

"Create empowerment and employment for the youth before May 2026. This isn't part of the things that will make you win, but you must do to stabilize your government," he advised.

Ayodele warned that without proper intervention, "the youths will go on a rampage," adding that the government should not take young Nigerians for granted. He advocated for meaningful youth engagement rather than enabling them for political thuggery.

"You should not enable youths for thuggery, but for the betterment of the country, create jobs for them, empower the best students in tertiary institutions, and do more for them," the prophet stated.

Focus on Grassroots Youth

Notably, Primate Ayodele called on the president to focus on empowering grassroots youth rather than the "Big Boys" youths who, according to him, don't vote. He clarified that he wasn't referring to youths in affluent areas like Lekki, Ikoyi, or the Island, but rather those at the grassroots level who aren't necessarily social media influencers.

"Don't take the youths for granted, and we are not talking about 'Big Boys' youths, those ones don't vote. We are not talking about Lekki, Ikoyi, Island youths, I mean youths from the grassroots, they don't have to be famous, we are not talking about internet youths," he explained.

The religious leader suggested that the president should visit different states to empower youths and involve them in his administration's reforms, warning that failure to do so could be used against him politically.

"You should go to different states and places to empower youths, carry them along in your reforms; otherwise, it will be used against you," Ayodele concluded.