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TEN SHOCKING 2023 PROPHECIES OF PRIMATE AYODELE PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT By Wale Lawal
TEN SHOCKING 2023 PROPHECIES OF PRIMATE AYODELE PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT
By Wale Lawal
There is no doubt about it, we know the stand out prophets in the country today who have proven to all and sundry that they know their onions. By this, I mean prophets who, time and time again have held us spell bound with staggering prophecies that sometimes shook us to the root of our foundation. And their consistencies are never in doubt. Primate Ayodele Elijah, the founder and leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual church is one of such few prophets, and I say this with every sense of responsibility.
There are those who have been very cynical of Primate Ayodele and his consistently accurate prophecies. They do not hold any significant criticism against him other than the fact that he is always in the news, making headlines. And the part they hate the most is the fact that most often than not, his prophecies always come to pass. And it has stayed consistently so for decades running.
But for many of these doubting Thomases, last year 2023 was the game changer. Owing to the political mood that was prevalent in the country at the time as a result of the 2023 presidential election, many were compelled to follow Primate Ayodele’s prophecies and prophetic declarations. And in the end, the veils fell off their eyes and they got to experience first hand the incredible spiritual knowledge and unbelievable accuracies of Primate Ayodele Elijah’s prophecies. Today, some of them have become followers of Primate Ayodele’s works. They now believe in his prophecies. They now acknowledge the man as one of the most outstanding men of God in the land today.
One of Primate’s prophecies last year that people are still talking about is his prophecy of untold economic hardship that would come after the Buhari administration. As a matter of fact, this prophecy was released by the prophet in 2022. He made it clear then that Nigerians should not be celebrating the end of the Buhari administration, thinking things would suddenly become rosy when a new administration comes in, it won’t turn out that way. Hear him: “The economic hardship you people are experiencing now will be child’s play compared to what you will experience when another president comes in. I don’t want to know who that president will be, just mark my words, Nigerians will experience the biggest hardships of their lives. Prices of food stuff will shoot up, fuel price will become three times the price we are buying it now and may eventually get to N1000 in some places. Don’t start celebrating because Buhari’s tenure is about to come to an end, the real hardship is about to start!” Many didn’t believe him. Only few people took him seriously then, but today, here we are, faced with the fulfillment of his warning.
Another prophecy of Primate Ayodele that jolted many was when he warned, and repeatedly too, that Nigerians must not vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president or even the APC for that matter. He warned that a vote for the APC or Asiwaju was a vote for unprecedented economic hardship never experienced before. But many, including this writer, failed to take him seriously. Asiwaju’s diehard followers and devotees took to the social media to call him all kinds of names, saying he was talking nonsense. I wonder what they will be thinking now.
How about his prophecy that, despite the momentum and soaring popularity that the then Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was enjoying, that he would not win the presidential election? This came as a shock to many. Several prophets had stood before their congregation and in front of their altars and declared Peter Obi winner as instructed by God, according to them. Many of Obi’s followers called the Obedients tore Primate Ayodele apart on social media. They were enraged at his guts and audacity to foretell that their beloved Obi would not become president. They insulted him. They rained abuses on him. But the man didn’t give a hoot. He had said what the Lord told him to say, their reaction was of no consequence to him. “If they like, let them insult me from now till Jesus comes, it changes nothing. Peter Obi will not emerge winner of the election,” he said with a note of finality. And today, the rest is history.
Many will still remember the tension that filled the entire nation following the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election. Many swore former president Buhari would not hand over power to Tinubu. Hundreds of prophets said there will be a coup or a break down of law and order and the military would stop the handing over of power to Tinubu to prevent anarchy. They swore that God had told them Tinubu will never be president. But Primate Ayodele’s position was different. Listen to him:”I don’t know where all these so called men of God are getting their prophecies from, but what God is telling me is that nothing can stop Tinubu from being sworn in as president of the federal republic of Nigeria. A million Peter Obis and Atikus and their supporters cannot stop Tinubu’s swearing in!” And today, we all know who was right and was wrong.
What about the furore that emanated from the election petition of Atiku and Obi challenging the electoral victory of President Tinubu. Their supporters, especially the Obidients, were confident they would get a favourable ruling and Obi would be announced winner. Many pastors and prophets predicted Tinubu would lose the case. But Primate Ayodele didn’t share that sentiment. He told them in very clear terms both Atiku and Obi would lose, no matter the millions they spend on getting the best lawyers in the land. We all know the rest of the story.
For those who followed closely the last Liberian presidential election, Primate Ayodele warned George Weah repeatedly that he needed to take some steps to ensure he did not lose the election. But George Weah, whom the Primate also wrote to, didn’t pay attention to his warnings. Many people didn’t. Everyone, including George Weah himself, thought he was sitting pretty as president. He got overconfident. He didn’t believe anyone could defeat him at the polls. But he was wrong, he lost the election to his closest rival. Nobody saw this coming, nobody except Primate Ayodele.
When the issue of kidnapping began to raise it’s ugly head again shortly after the emergence of President Tinubu, Primate Ayodele warned that we have not seen anything yet. He said, “very soon, kings, traditional rulers and their subjects would be kidnapped and some assassinated. And very soon, they will try to kidnap or assassinate governors too,” he warned. Many didn’t believe this could happen. It didn’t seem possible. But, sadly, this is becoming common occurrence now. Our kings and traditional rulers are being slaughtered like chickens in broad daylight.
When the Labour Party got the highest votes in Lagos during the presidential election, many had believed they would also win the Lagos governorship election. Many felt their candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes was on a roller coaster ride to Alausa, the seat of power in Lagos. The Labour Party supporters were confident victory was theirs. APC was frightened. Sanwo-Olu was sweating. Their supporters were nervous. But Primate Ayodele insisted that Sanwo-Olu was going no where, he would be re-elected. And that was exactly what happened.
How about the death of the founder of FCMB, Otunba Subomi Balogun, Primate foretold his death long before it happened. As always, these prophecies are sometimes ignored but later regretted.
Hate him or love him, Primate Ayodele has proven over and over again that he is different from the other inconsistent prophets that litter the landscape. They are as inconsistent as their reckless prophecies. But he stands out from them all. He is the only man of God who has a compendium of over 30,000 fulfilled prophecies to his name. And he is not even ready to slow down yet. Let’s face it, no matter what anybody says, when it comes to making accurate prophecies, only very few can come close to Primate Ayodele. You don’t agree? Then, name your prophet and let the debate begin….
Why Babangida’s Hilltop Home Became Nigeria’s Political “Mecca”.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s birthday visit to Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) in Minna (where he hailed the octogenarian as a patriotic leader committed to national unity) was more than a courtesy call. It was a reminder of a peculiar constant in Nigerian politics: the steady pilgrimage of power-seekers, bridge-builders and crisis-managers to the Hilltop mansion. Jonathan’s own words captured it bluntly: IBB’s residence “is like a Mecca of sorts” because of the former military president’s enduring relevance and perceived nation-first posture.
Babangida turned 84 on 17 August 2025. That alone invites reflection on a career that has shaped Nigeria’s political architecture for four decades; admired by some for audacious statecraft, condemned by others for controversies that still shadow the republic. Born on 17 August 1941 in Minna, he ruled as military president from 1985 to 1993, presiding over transformative and turbulent chapters: the relocation of the national capital to Abuja in 1991; the creation of political institutions for a long, complex transition; economic liberalisation that cut both ways; and the fateful annulment of the 12 June 1993 election. Each of these choices helps explain why the Hilltop remains a magnet for Nigerians who need counsel, cover or calibration.
A house built on influence; why the visits never stop.
Let’s start with the obvious: access. Nigeria’s political class prizes proximity to the men and women who can open doors, soften opposition, broker peace and read the hidden currents. In that calculus, IBB’s network is unmatched. He cultivated a reputation for “political engineering,” the reason the press christened him “Maradona” (for deft dribbling through complexity) and “Evil Genius” (for the strategic cunning his critics decried). Whether one embraces or rejects those labels, they reflect a reality: Babangida is still the place where many politicians go to test ideas, seek endorsements or secure introductions. Even the mainstream press has described him as a consultant of sorts to desperate or ambitious politicians, an uncomfortable description that nevertheless underlines his gravitational pull.
Though it isn’t only political tact that draws visitors; it’s statecraft with lasting fingerprints. Moving the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja in December 1991 was not a cosmetic relocation, it re-centred the federation and signaled a symbolic neutrality in a country fractured by regional suspicion. Abuja’s founding logic (GEOGRAPHIC CENTRALITY and ETHNIC NEUTRALITY) continues to stabilise the national imagination. This is part of the reason many leaders, across party lines, still defer to IBB: he didn’t just rule; he rearranged the map of power.
Then there’s the regional dimension. Under his watch, Nigeria led the creation and deployment of ECOMOG in 1990 to staunch Liberia’s bloody civil war, a bold move that announced Abuja as a regional security anchor. The intervention was imperfect, contested and costly, but it helped define West Africa’s collective security posture and Nigeria’s leadership brand. When neighboring states now face crises, the memory of that precedent still echoes in diplomatic corridors and Babangida’s counsel retains currency among those who remember how decisions were made.
Jonathan’s praise and the unity argument.
Jonathan’s tribute (stressing Babangida’s non-sectional outlook and commitment to unity) goes to the heart of the Hilltop mystique. For a multi-ethnic federation straining under distrust, figures who can speak across divides are prized. Jonathan’s point wasn’t nostalgia; it was a live assessment of a man many still call when Nigeria’s seams fray. That’s why the parade to Minna continues: the anxious, the ambitious and the statesmanlike alike seek an elder who can convene rivals and cool temperatures.
The unresolved shadow: June 12 and the ethics of influence.
No honest appraisal can skip the hardest chapter: the annulment of the 12 June 1993 election (judged widely as free and fair) was a rupture that delegitimised the transition and scarred Nigeria’s democratic journey. Political scientist Larry Diamond has repeatedly identified June 12 as a prime example of how authoritarian reversals corrode democratic legitimacy and public trust. His larger warning (“few developments are more destructive to the legitimacy of new democracies than blatant and pervasive political corruption”) captures the moral crater that followed the annulment and the years of drift that ensued. Those wounds are part of the Babangida legacy too and they complicate the reverence that a steady stream of visitors displays.
Max Siollun, a leading historian of Nigeria’s military era, has observed (provocatively) that the military’s “greatest contribution” to democracy may have been to rule “long and badly enough” that Nigerians lost appetite for soldiers in power. It’s a stinging line, yet it helps explain the paradox of IBB’s status: the same system he personified taught Nigeria costly lessons that hardened its democratic reflexes. Today’s generation visits the Hilltop not to revive militarism but to harvest hard-won insights about managing a fragile federation.
What sustains the pilgrimage.
1) Institutional memory: Nigeria’s politics often suffers amnesia. Babangida offers a living archive of security crises navigated, regional diplomacy attempted, volatile markets tempered and power-sharing experiments designed. Whether one applauds or condemns specific choices, the muscle memory of governing a complex federation is rare and urgently sought.
2) Convening power: In a season of polarisation, the ability to sit warring factions in the same room is not small capital. Babangida’s imprimatur remains a safe invitation card few refuse it, fewer ignore it. That convening power explains why movements, parties and would-be presidents keep filing up the long driveway. Recent delegations have explicitly cast their courtesy calls in the language of unity, loyalty and patriotism ahead of pivotal elections.
3) Signals to the base: Visiting Minna telegraphs seriousness to party structures and funders. It says: “I have sought counsel where history meets experience.” In Nigeria’s coded political theatre, that signal still matters. Outlets have reported for years that many aspirants treat the Hilltop as an obligatory stop an unflattering reality, perhaps, but a revealing one.
4) The man and the myth: The mansion itself, with its opulence and aura, has become a set piece in Nigeria’s story of power, admired by some, resented by others, but always discussed. The myth feeds the pilgrimage; the pilgrimage feeds the myth.
The balance sheet at 84.
To treat Babangida solely as a sage is to forget the costs of his era; to treat him only as a villain is to ignore the architecture that still holds parts of Nigeria together. Abuja’s relocation stands as a stabilising bet that paid off. ECOMOG, for all its flaws, seeded a habit of regional responsibility. Conversely, June 12 remains a national cautionary tale about elite manipulation, civilian marginalisation and the brittleness of transitions managed from above. These are not contradictory truths; they are the double helix of Babangida’s place in Nigerian memory.
Jonathan’s homage tried to distill the better angel of IBB’s record: MENTORSHIP, BRIDGE-BUILDING and a POSTURE that (at least in his telling) RESISTS SECTIONAL ISM. “That is why today, his house is like a Mecca of sorts,” he said, praying that the GENERAL continues to “mentor the younger ones.” Whether one agrees with the full sentiment, it accurately describes the lived politics of Nigeria today: Minna remains a checkpoint on the road to relevance.
The scholar’s verdict and a citizen’s challenge.
If Diamond warns about legitimacy and Siollun warns about the perils of soldier-politics, what should Nigerians demand from the Hilltop effect? Three things.
First, use influence to open space, not close it. Counsel should tilt toward rules, institutions and credible elections not kingmaking for its own sake. The lesson of 1993 is that subverting a valid vote haunts a nation for decades.
Second, mentor for unity, but insist on accountability. Unity cannot be a euphemism for silence. A truly patriotic elder statesman sets a high bar for conduct and condemns the shortcuts that tempt new actors in old ways. Diamond’s admonition on corruption is not an abstraction; it’s a roadmap for rebuilding trust.
Third, convert nostalgia into institutional memory. If Babangida’s house is a classroom, then Nigeria should capture, publish and debate its lessons in the open: on peace operations (what worked, what failed), on capital relocation (how to plan at scale), and on transitions (how not to repeat 1993). Only then does the pilgrimage serve the republic rather than personalities.
At 84, Ibrahim Babangida remains a paradox that Nigeria cannot ignore: a man whose legacy straddles NATION-BUILDING and NATION-BRUISING, whose doors remain open to those seeking power and those seeking peace. Jonathan’s visit (and his striking “Mecca” metaphor) reveals a simple, stubborn fact: in a country still searching for steady hands, the Hilltop’s shadow is long. The task before Nigeria is to ensure that the shadow points toward a brighter constitutional daybreak, where influence is finally subordinated to institutions and where mentorship hardens into norms that no single mansion can monopolise. That is the only pilgrimage worth making.
Ajadi Celebrates Juju Legend Femolancaster’s 50th Birthday in the UK
Nigerian Juju music legend, Otunba Femi Fadipe, popularly known as FemoLancaster, is being celebrated today in London as he clocks 50 years of age.
Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, a frontline politician and businessman, led tributes to the Ilesa-born maestro, describing him as a timeless cultural icon whose artistry has enriched both Nigeria and the world.
“FemoLancaster is not just a musician, he is a legend,” Ambassador Ajadi said in his birthday message. “For decades, his classical Juju sound has remained a reminder of the beauty of Yoruba heritage. Today, as he turns 50, I celebrate a cultural ambassador whose music bridges generations and continents.”
While FemoLancaster is highly dominant in Oyo State and across the South-West, his craft has also taken him beyond Nigeria’s borders.
FemoLancaster’s illustrious career has seen him thrill audiences across Nigeria and beyond, with performances in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, and other parts of the world. His dedication to Juju music has projected Yoruba traditional sounds to international stages, keeping alive the legacy of icons like King Sunny Ade and Chief Ebenezer Obey while infusing fresh energy for younger audiences
He further stressed the significance of honoring artistes who have remained faithful to indigenous music while taking it global. “In an era where modern sounds often overshadow tradition, FemoLancaster stands as a beacon of continuity and resilience. He has carried Yoruba Juju music into the global space with dignity, passion, and excellence,” he added.
The golden jubilee celebration in London has drawn fans, friends, and colleagues, who all describe FemoLancaster as a gifted artist whose contributions over decades have earned him a revered place in the pantheon of Nigerian music legends.
“As FemoLancaster marks this milestone,” Ajadi concluded, “I wish him many more years of good health, wisdom, and global recognition. May his music continue to echo across generations and continents.”
celebrity radar - gossips
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
By Aderounmu Kazeem Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria — The gospel music scene is aglow today as the “Duchess of Gospel Music,” Esther Igbekele, marks another milestone in her life, celebrating her birthday on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Known for her powerful voice, inspirational lyrics, and unwavering dedication to spreading the gospel through music, Esther Igbekele has become one of Nigeria’s most respected and beloved gospel artistes. Over the years, she has graced countless stages, released hit albums, and inspired audiences across the world with her uplifting songs.
Today’s celebration is expected to be a joyful blend of music, prayers, and heartfelt tributes from family, friends, fans, and fellow artistes. Sources close to the singer revealed that plans are in place for a special praise gathering in Lagos, where she will be joined by notable figures in the gospel industry, church leaders, and admirers from home and abroad.
Speaking ahead of the day, Igbekele expressed deep gratitude to God for His mercy and the opportunity to use her gift to touch lives. “Every birthday is a reminder of God’s faithfulness in my journey. I am thankful for life, for my fans, and for the privilege to keep ministering through music,” she said.
From her early beginnings in the Yoruba gospel music scene to her rise as a celebrated recording artiste with a unique fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds, Esther Igbekele’s career has been marked by consistency, excellence, and a strong message of hope.
As she adds another year today, her fans have flooded social media with messages of love, appreciation, and prayers — a testament to the profound impact she continues to make in the gospel music ministry.
For many, this birthday is not just a celebration of Esther Igbekele’s life, but also of the divine inspiration she brings to the Nigerian gospel music landscape.
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