The victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the just-concluded Osun State governorship election has brought renewed attention to a series of prophecies made by Primate Elijah Ayodele months before the poll.
Long before the election, the spiritual leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church had repeatedly declared that Adeleke would secure a second term, despite the political strength of his opponents and the uncertainties surrounding the contest.
One of the most notable declarations came in February 2025, when Governor Adeleke travelled from Osun State to Lagos to attend Primate Ayodele’s annual thanksgiving programme.
The event attracted prominent personalities, including former Liberian President George Weah, traditional rulers and other dignitaries. Adeleke also performed the groundbreaking ceremony for a mosque built by Primate Ayodele.
While addressing the governor during the ceremony, Primate Ayodele declared that Adeleke was divinely positioned to retain his seat.
The prophet said:
“If All Progressive Congress (APC) should field Oyetola come 2026, he will still lose. Anybody the APC fields for the race, Adeleke will beat him. It is divine.”
He further declared that Adeleke would win regardless of the strength of his opponents, insisting that even the involvement of President Bola Tinubu in the campaign would not change the outcome.
“I am now giving you God’s words that you, Governor Adeleke, will win the 2026 governorship election, no matter how it may be.”
As the election drew closer, Primate Ayodele continued to repeat the prediction, even as political activities intensified across the state.
In one of his pre-election messages, he declared that the APC would not defeat Adeleke unless the election was compromised.
“Osun election, I am being honest to every Nigerian. Except there is rigging, APC will not win… APC will not win the election.”
The prophecy attracted criticism from some political quarters, with the prophet accusing his critics of attacking and misrepresenting his position. However, he maintained that his declarations were based on what he described as divine revelation.
Primate Ayodele also warned other political contenders against wasting their resources on the contest, while identifying INEC as a potential challenge to Adeleke’s victory.
He said:
“Don’t waste your money… but the only way is Adeleke. INEC will be his problem, he will win, but they want to use INEC to turn the clock. APC will not win Osun State.”
As the election approached, he issued another warning to the electoral commission, declaring that the Accord Party would emerge victorious.
“APC will not win Osun; I stand by the word. Not ADC, not APC, but Accord. INEC may want to compromise by planning with APC. Don’t put Osun on fire, because you will regret it.”
His warnings became even more pointed as voting commenced. Primate Ayodele urged Governor Adeleke and his supporters to remain vigilant and protect their votes until the final declaration.
“Adeleke, you are winning the election; don’t sleep now because APC wants to do nasty things… Adeleke, don’t sleep till they announce you as winner.”
With INEC subsequently declaring Adeleke the winner, attention has shifted back to the series of predictions made by Primate Ayodele before and during the election.
For supporters of the cleric, the outcome represents another confirmation of his prophetic declarations. His earlier statements, particularly the February 2025 prediction and subsequent warnings throughout the election season, have now become a major talking point following Adeleke’s victory.
The development also adds another chapter to Primate Ayodele’s long-running record of political prophecies, as his supporters point to the Osun election as one of the predictions that played out in the political arena.