Primate Ayodele and prophecy peculiarity

BY FOLORUNSHO TAHIR HAMSAT

A section in the Galatians; 5:25, notes that “when a believer walks according to the Spirit, his unique perspective is demonstrated through traits that reflect the character of Christ.” This specific verse is discussing ‘prophecy’. On this note, any man called as a prophet needs to express his thoughts and ideas verbally, especially when matters of right and wrong are involved.

In the written account of the Gospels, Peter, who clearly had the gift of prophecy, spoke more often than any of his contemporaries in the Mission. He was so accomplished in giving perfect prophecies that he was made the spokesman for the early Church.

Despite its complications, and often unappreciated nature, predicting with divine assurance is one of the most satisfying privileges that Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, a Primate and leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos State, is known for.

Ayodele has a unique style; his primary concern about stopping the spread of evil tends to motivate him to make almost all of his prophecies a public (media) affair.

Just as Peter sensed the deception in Ananias and Sapphira and questioned them about it, Primate Ayodele also has an amazing ability to sense when something is not what it appears to be or the political leadership is being deceitful, and he does react strongly to such.

Habitually, when Ayodele’s prophecies hit the newspapers headlines, they are criticized as ‘overkill’ by a section of the public that appears uninformed about the canons of priestly gift. When a prophet sees disaster, he tends to warn against it so strongly that it can appear to some as crying wolf or exaggerating. Nonetheless, in spite of the impression of the critics, Ayodele contends that his prophetic messages provide a balance of truth and love. Truly, when he is committed to a cause, especially regarding charity, he is wholeheartedly involved in it. Within the context of his commitment, he is quick to respond to situations and opportunities.

In one of the past editions of his yearly prophecy handbook, ‘Warnings to The Nations’, Ayodele posited that, “as we exercise our gift of prophecy, we experience personal fulfillment and a deep sense of joy.” The famous cleric had declared during his annual birthday Thanksgiving on February 14 that his ministry is exclusive for a purpose. He said his own church is on a mission that is deeply connected to the needs and pains of the ordinary man. And these needs, he proclaims, he is prepared to effectively serve in his prophetic missions.

No prophet has ever gotten one hundred percent support from everyone. But a true prophet is bold enough to go against the standard. Primate Ayodele concurs that when he releases his prophetic messages that challenge the status quo, some will disagree with him. He said that even Jesus, in his time, could not get one hundred percent support. Therefore, he says, a true prophet should not spend too much time listening to negative criticisms or engaging the critics.

While he accepts that criticism, most of the time, seeks to strengthen the mission and make a prophet a better messenger, he notes it can also undermine the mission and taint the messenger. “I am carrying on a great mission and cannot go down listening to critics. Why should the work stop; why should I leave what God has asked me to deliver because I am being attacked? I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be God’s minister,” Ayodele avers, submitting that, to be the type of prophet God uses in these last days, “we have to be focused enough to know what God is saying and we must let the world know that we did not invent or set up the mission by ourselves, but God sends us on this mission.”

There have been a series of attacks against Ayodele’s prophecies. Interestingly, most of the aggressors are supposed fellow pastors. But Ayodele maintains that real prophets do not define the vision for themselves, they get it from God. He says prophecy may unfold over a period of time and does not necessarily happen in the timing we think it should, adding that, “although, this can cause frustration, discouragement and impatience, God is not in a hurry and He never fails.”

Of particular interest was his prophecy that a Northerner would return as president of Nigeria in 2023. That prophecy was delivered in December 2020. And almost simultaneously, assaults were launched on Ayodele by some persons, probably those who nurse political interests from the South. Meanwhile, given the latest scheming and devious realignments among Nigerian politicians from different regions, it remains to be seen to what extent the critique would survive.

That is not all. Ayodele also gave a warning preparatory to conducting the 2019 presidential election. He gave the prophecy at an occasion witnessed by local and foreign journalists that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would defeat the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), if it fielded the then senate president, Bukola Saraki as its flag bearer. His message, perhaps, was misunderstood. And the result, he says, “is where we are as a nation.”

“Prophetic ministry is a powerful vehicle through which God builds His church. We have not been called to fear or fight what may come. We’ve been equipped by the Spirit of God to stand up and lead; to speak truth to power despite knocks and condemnations,” he declares.

Hamsat is a journalist. He wrote from Lagos