Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele is the founder of INRI
Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos. Renowned as a seer, he
tells KEHINDE OYETIMI, in this interview, some of the occurrences
Nigerians should expect in 2014 and in the nearest future.
MANY people only know you as a prophet but few know your
background. Can you tell us about this?
I am from a Christian family where I was taught about God and how to fear God. From there I grew up in such a way that when you go to church, you follow the doctrines as directed.
When did you start developing the gift of prophecy?
I never intended to be a prophet. I just attended church and prayed while growing up. I was around 17 years old when I fell into a trance for 21 days. It actually happened like this. I was washing my mother’s clothes and the next day was to be my birthday. I was thinking that I had not really fasted. My father would always say that I should fast. But I didn’t like it. So that day, when it was 12 noon, I told myself that I should go and eat but before I knew what was happening, I fell in a trance. That was all. It was after that that I decided what church to attend. I joined the Christ Apostolic Church. When I got there, the woman in charge gave me the responsibility of leading prayer sessions.
After a while, I went to Aviation School in Zaria where I joined the Celestial Church of Christ. After that, I joined the Scripture Union. After which I joined a gospel church. It was after that that I joined the Cherubim and Seraphim church. Every church that I attended gave me one responsibility or the other to handle.
After the 21 days of being in a trance, what happened?
All I said were written and they all came to pass. So, many things happened.
Do you think that it would be great for you to pass this gift to one of your children?
Yes. Why shouldn’t I? It is good to serve God and it is good to be in God’s vineyard. It is honourable.
Since you started dishing out prophetic utterances, have you ever fallen out with people in authority?
I have been close to so many people both within the country and outside. I have friends. I have been very useful to those in authority. I would not like to mention anybody’s name. My prophecies have always been coming to pass through the grace of the Almighty God.
Nigeria is very religious with so many churches and mosques. Yet the level of corruption in all facets of the country is high. What is your take on that?
I am aware of all these. It has been God who has been taking care of the country. If it were not God, Nigeria would have collapsed. There is no church where offerings are not collected. How do you expect the pastor to differentiate between the offering of a criminal and that of a just man? It is only God who has been helping us out of our different problems. No pastor or church can lay claim to being exclusively useful to the peace of the nation.
In January every year, prophets come out with different but largely negative prophecies...
I will not take that. There is nothing negative about the warning of God. The problem is usually the way that we take these prophecies. We are far away from the truth. It is the manner in which these prophecies are portrayed by the press. It is also the way that people react to these prophecies. In the Bible, at the commencement of each year, Kings and leaders would seek the mind of God through prophets in the land. Many people do not understand what prophecies entail. Before the general recession took place, God had repeatedly told me that we should pray against global recession. But did anybody take to it? No.
God sends us prophecies with the intent to prepare us for it. It is when we don’t adhere that the negative aspect then happens. We take many things for granted in this country. We are too critical. We don’t fear God. Every country has its own prophets.
I am from a Christian family where I was taught about God and how to fear God. From there I grew up in such a way that when you go to church, you follow the doctrines as directed.
When did you start developing the gift of prophecy?
I never intended to be a prophet. I just attended church and prayed while growing up. I was around 17 years old when I fell into a trance for 21 days. It actually happened like this. I was washing my mother’s clothes and the next day was to be my birthday. I was thinking that I had not really fasted. My father would always say that I should fast. But I didn’t like it. So that day, when it was 12 noon, I told myself that I should go and eat but before I knew what was happening, I fell in a trance. That was all. It was after that that I decided what church to attend. I joined the Christ Apostolic Church. When I got there, the woman in charge gave me the responsibility of leading prayer sessions.
After a while, I went to Aviation School in Zaria where I joined the Celestial Church of Christ. After that, I joined the Scripture Union. After which I joined a gospel church. It was after that that I joined the Cherubim and Seraphim church. Every church that I attended gave me one responsibility or the other to handle.
After the 21 days of being in a trance, what happened?
All I said were written and they all came to pass. So, many things happened.
Do you think that it would be great for you to pass this gift to one of your children?
Yes. Why shouldn’t I? It is good to serve God and it is good to be in God’s vineyard. It is honourable.
Since you started dishing out prophetic utterances, have you ever fallen out with people in authority?
I have been close to so many people both within the country and outside. I have friends. I have been very useful to those in authority. I would not like to mention anybody’s name. My prophecies have always been coming to pass through the grace of the Almighty God.
Nigeria is very religious with so many churches and mosques. Yet the level of corruption in all facets of the country is high. What is your take on that?
I am aware of all these. It has been God who has been taking care of the country. If it were not God, Nigeria would have collapsed. There is no church where offerings are not collected. How do you expect the pastor to differentiate between the offering of a criminal and that of a just man? It is only God who has been helping us out of our different problems. No pastor or church can lay claim to being exclusively useful to the peace of the nation.
In January every year, prophets come out with different but largely negative prophecies...
I will not take that. There is nothing negative about the warning of God. The problem is usually the way that we take these prophecies. We are far away from the truth. It is the manner in which these prophecies are portrayed by the press. It is also the way that people react to these prophecies. In the Bible, at the commencement of each year, Kings and leaders would seek the mind of God through prophets in the land. Many people do not understand what prophecies entail. Before the general recession took place, God had repeatedly told me that we should pray against global recession. But did anybody take to it? No.
God sends us prophecies with the intent to prepare us for it. It is when we don’t adhere that the negative aspect then happens. We take many things for granted in this country. We are too critical. We don’t fear God. Every country has its own prophets.
What do we expect this year and the nearest future?
Politics
Oyo State
If APC is not careful, it will lose Oyo State in 2015. APC will lose to Accord Party if only Ladoja does not contest. Please, kindly understand what I have just said. If APC is not careful, it will lose in 2015. That is a warning. When people get into government, they forget God so easily. It will be an election between Accord Party and the APC. It is left for the two of them to take caution.
I told Jonathan in 2011 and 2012 that governors would gang up against him but he didn’t listen. God knows about the crisis in PDP.
Osun State
The present governor of Osun State will have issues ahead re-election this year that the opposition can lean upon to fight against him. There will be rigging in the Osun election. No other party will come up. It will be between PDP and APC. PDP wants to take over at all costs. This is a warning.
After the victory of either of the parties, expect litigation. There will be crisis before and after the election in Osun State. A lot of politicians will be threatened. Religion will take a significant place in Osun election. It will be a test of what is to be expected in the general election between APC and PDP in 2015. APC must be careful so as not to lose any state in 2015.
Ekiti State
In Ekiti State, if PDP fields a wrong candidate, it will make the APC to retain the seat very easily. But if it gets the right candidate, it will be a battle. Opeyemi Bamidele can’t be governor in Ekiti. It is a battle between APC and PDP. Labour Party can’t take Ekiti.
This year, Jonathan will cajole Nigerians and some other politicians. Some people will want to defect to APC. APC will goof. It will not make the presidency despite all the shakeups that will come up. Jonathan will beg Obasanjo. There will be moves by PDP to reconcile. There will be negotiations on the office of the Vice-President, Chief of Staff, SGF, and in the process some people will ask Jonathan to step down. Jonathan will then begin to struggle for a second term. Some of the governors who left PDP will return in the nearest future. Jonathan will be the last president that PDP will produce. It will not be easy for the PDP. Tukur will be relieved of his position.
Northern leaders will not support Jonathan in 2015. Tambuwal should not contest for the presidency. He will not win. He will be under pressure to leave PDP. If he leaves the PDP, he will have a lot of issues. He will face a lot of crises. He must be careful. Despite all its present problems, PDP will face a lot of challenges this year. PDP will win the presidency but they may lose some states. Jonathan should consult God for a second term. If Jonathan eventually becomes Nigeria’s president for a second time, he should watch his health. His second term will not be as peaceful as he expects. We should pray for the First Lady.
I see chaos and political revolution. The national confab is going nowhere. They want to use the confab for political purposes. I see a confab where we will be talking about disintegration. It may take 30 or 50 years but Nigeria cannot stay together for another 100 years.
If Buhari is not given APC presidential ticket, he will neither be here nor there. He may threaten to pull out of the APC. Buhari is expecting that ticket. Jonathan is the cause of all these problems because he did not listen to warnings.
Lagos State
There will be clamour for a Christian governor. If Lagos does not produce a Christian governorship candidate, APC will lose Lagos. I see an unknown man ruling Lagos in 2015. If APC wants to retain Lagos in 2015, it must produce a Christian as a candidate. The person might have been in government. I do not see Ikuforiji, Ashafa winning that seat. The direction is from Ikorodu area.
Economy
Nigeria’s economy will not be fantastic in 2014. The price of food items will go up. Some markets will be shut down in the Eastern part of the country and in the Southern part. Prices of garri, palm oil and flour will go up. Price of vegetable will go up. Jonathan’s presidential economic team will fail him. Some ministers will be eased out while new ones will come in.
Aviation and the oil and gas ministries will be probed by the House of Representatives. There will be more threats to remove them. Nothing serious will come out of SEC. The DG of SEC will face a probe panel. The House of Reps will probe the Finance Minister this year. Their jobs will be under threat this year.
There will be troubles. The excess crude oil account will cause problems. I see that Nigeria will borrow money.
I don’t know when this will come up but Aba will be the China of Nigeria where Nigeria will produce vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles. Exotic guns will be made in Nigeria. I am not saying it will happen in 2014 but it is part of the things that we should be expecting in the nearest future.
It will be a pleasure if we can manage these crises and then I see a greater Nigeria.
Nothern Governors
Northern governors will break because of Jonathan’s second term ambition. Part of the Northern elders will not support Jonathan’s second term. There will be many controversies.
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State governor must be watchful because he will have some challenges. There will be an issue against him. There will be youth unrest in Bayelsa.
Delta, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Cross River states and others
Let’s pray that we won’t experience ethnic crisis in Delta State. We should also pray against communal crisis in Cross Rivers State. In Akwa Ibom, there will be crisis on whom to take over from Governor Godswill Akpabio. If Akpabio picks an unpopular candidate, there will be a lot of problems for PDP. Lagos will have more water reforms. I foresee cholera and measles outbreak in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa and Yobe states. There will be some irregularities and misconduct at the Lagos State Inland Revenue which will later be exposed. Lagos State should not stop the use of tricycle as I forsee that there will an attempt at that. This will work against the state government. Let’s pray against flood in some Northern parts in the year 2014. Some of the outgoing governors may have crisis. Like the Cross Rivers State governor must be watchful. The forthcoming election in Rivers State will be very volatile. Kenny Martins should pray for his health. Oyo state will attempt to create more local governments. Ogun State will attempt something similar.
Sharing formula and crisis in PDP
There will be changes in the sharing formula in 2014. Jonathan will find every means to bring back some PDP members.
Ekiti governorship election
Ayo Fayose may be used in Ekiti PDP as governorship candidate.
International politics
There will be crisis in Lebanon. I see crisis in Rwanda too. There will be bloodbath in Pakistan. I forsee trouble in South África, Angola.
Presidential candidate in APC
APC will fail to pick Buhari. There will be attempts at mediation between Jonathan and Amaechi. Amaechi will not take it easy at all. It will be difficult for the PDP to bring up somebody else. APC will want to field a PDP member as their presidential candidate. Tambuwal may likely be APC’s presidential candidate. If he is picked, Tambuwal will give Jonathan a serious fight. But at the end, Jonathan will find his way.
Nollywood star
Let’s pray not to lose any Nollywood star. I see the passing away of a Nollywood star in Yoruba and English. ANTP will have crisis.
Anenih’s health
Anenih should pray for his health.
Boko Haram crisis
The government will try to expose those behind Boko Haram but with fear. Government will try to dialogue with Boko Haram which will score Jonathan’s government zero.
Attempt on Jonathan’s life
There will be an attempt on Jonathan’s life. He must be conscious of what he takes. His health needs prayers.
PHCN, government agencies and others
I see changes in FERMA. NIMASA will face challenges this year. NDLEA will evolve new ways of fighting drug pushers. I see a new authority at the CBN. There will be changes in the Nigerian currency. The office of the Accountant General will be queried. Iyaloja General must be very careful as she will face some challenges after taking unpopular steps. She must not include politics into market administration. There will be electricity instability till 2016. The EFCC will run after some governors and speakers of Houses of Assemblies. This will cause the commission some problems. There will be an attempt to hold population census in 2015 or 2016. There will be changes at the NFF. Let’s pray that they will not lose anybody.
National prayer
God is asking the whole nation to fast from February 1 to February 7, 2014, in order to prevent complications and troubles.
National Assembly members
Let the Senators and House of Representatives members pray against death because not all of them will finish their term before the end of 2014. There will be changes in the House of Reps.
Attack on Abuja
Let’s be careful so that there won’t be attacks in Abuja. Let’s pray that we don’t see any inferno in any police or army barracks. Let’s pray against train accident in Nigeria.
Britain and US
Let’s pray that Britain will not lose a prominent person. I see misunderstanding in the British parliament. The American upper chamber will have challenges in terms of economy.
Division among South West traditioanl rulers
There will be division among monarchs in the South West because of Jonathan’s second term.
Igbo presidency
Igbo will not produce a president for Nigeria in the next 15 years.
In the nearest future, not now, Nigeria may likely produce nuclear weapons.
PDP, INEC and Amaechi
PDP NEC will have so many issues to settle. The NEC might break up as a result of trying to resolve these issues. Amaechi’s candidate in 2015 will not be supported. There will be changes and amendment of the constitution. The government will arrest those who would want to bring in contaminated fish. The deputy Senate President should be careful so that he won’t be a victim of political robbery. . INEC will face some challenges in the forthcoming election, while Jega will be called to order. There will be changes in INEC.
Tenure elongation
Some people will attempt to sponsor tenure elongation without the support of many members of the House of Representatives.
OBJ and APC
Obasanjo will not defect to APC
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