Abuja – Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who is positioning himself as a candidate for the 2027 Oyo State governorship, has filed a petition with the Department of State Services (DSS) accusing Lagos-based cleric Primate Elijah Ayodele of blackmail and attempting to extort N150 million for “spiritual intercession” to secure his electoral victory. The petition, dated October 13 2025 and signed by the minister’s special adviser on strategic communications, Bolaji Tunji, alleges that Ayodele made false prophecies to damage Adelabu’s reputation after the minister rejected the cleric’s demands for large sums of money and expensive ritual items.
According to text messages obtained, Ayodele asked Adelabu to supply 24 APC flags for prayers and 1,000 saxophones or trumpets, with a price tag of N50 million for the cheapest Nigerian‑used instruments and N130 million for imported grade‑one pieces from China. The cleric set an initial deadline of April 1, later extending it to April 4, and wrote, “Sir, I don’t do this, but because of the love I have for you.” He also requested that Adelabu “recite almu nasira 200 times,” told him to hold a vigil because “the angel of God is coming to hear request by 1 am…I don’t want you to lose the coming election,” and repeatedly claimed divine instruction, saying, “I have divine advice for you sir, which can help a lot sir, kindly pick my call.”
In the petition, Adelabu described the cleric’s conduct as “extortive, deceitful, and inciting” and called for an investigation into Ayodele for extortion, blackmail and spreading “false and inciting information.” The minister also lodged a separate complaint with the Oyo State Commissioner of Police over the same alleged activities. Ayodele, however, denied any wrongdoing, telling TheCable that Adelabu had approached him first through emissaries and that no money changed hands. “I didn’t blackmail him. We didn’t have any transaction. Again, no money was exchanged between us,” he said, adding that his prophecies were consistent with his previous positions and not tied to any demand for payment.
The DSS has yet to announce whether it will open a formal investigation, but the petition has drawn attention to the intersection of religious influence and political ambition in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections. Adelabu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and two‑time governorship aspirant, has reiterated his intention to contest the upcoming poll, insisting that his campaign is driven by a desire to serve the people rather than by any spiritual manipulation.
