The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to eliminate the presidential candidate of African Action Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar and the presidential flag-bearer of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ayodele, who did not identify the individuals or groups allegedly behind the plot, urged the two opposition politicians to heighten their security and remain vigilant.
The cleric made the allegation in a video shared on X, where he warned Atiku and Obi to take the threat seriously, while expressing confidence that the alleged plan would not succeed.
“Obi and Atiku, be very conscious of your security. They are looking for any means to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
“But God will never allow it to happen. Watch out and be cautious of your security,” he said.
The allegation comes amid heightened political activities and growing opposition alignments ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
Earlier, Ayodele had warned President Bola Tinubu to stop the FBI documents being sought from the United States in connection with allegations concerning the Nigerian President’s past.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric claimed that powerful interests were behind efforts to obtain the documents and alleged that their release could have serious political consequences for Tinubu.
“If those documents come out, it will end Tinubu’s second term because the power behind it is heavy. Tinubu is just playing around it; people working to stop it are only deceiving him,” Ayodele said.
He further alleged that the United States remained a major challenge for the President and warned that the documents could be released when Washington decides to do so.
“If America is ready, they will release it, and that’s why I said America is one of Tinubu’s problems. The documents are there, and there are plans to release them,” he added.
According to the cleric, the release of the alleged documents could trigger significant political consequences ahead of the 2027 election.
“If this document comes out, an interim government is imminent, and there will be a serious effect on the election,” he said.
However, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has dismissed claims that Tinubu could be arrested or restricted during his proposed attendance at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Ibrahim said the Nigerian Mission to the UN had received no communication from the United States government indicating that Tinubu would face arrest, legal action or restrictions on his movement during the General Assembly.
The ambassador’s comments followed renewed social media speculation over allegations concerning Tinubu’s past in the United States and claims that the President could be arrested if he attends the UNGA.
Ibrahim cited Section 11 of the 1947 UN-US Headquarters Agreement, explaining that representatives of UN member states are protected against impediments to their travel to and from the UN headquarters district while conducting official business.
He said the protection also covers their families, UN officials, officials of specialised agencies and other persons invited to the UN headquarters district on official assignments.
The envoy consequently rejected suggestions that Tinubu could be arrested while attending the General Assembly.
“Social media cannot criminalise or arrest President Bola Tinubu, no matter how much the opposition invested in it, those efforts will only end as an exercise in futility. He has immunity from arrest in US during UNGA,” Ibrahim said.