“Obi Would Think I Don’t Like Him; I Don’t Belong to Atiku, Tinubu or Peter Obi” — Primate Ayodele

According to a video shared by Primate Elijah Ayodele on his official Facebook page on October 9, 2026, the leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church has declared that he remains neutral in Nigeria’s political affairs, insisting that he does not belong to the political camps of Atiku Abubakar, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or Peter Obi.

Speaking in the video, Ayodele addressed the perception that his comments about Obi’s political decisions could be interpreted as evidence that he dislikes the former Anambra State governor. He maintained that his political views should not be mistaken for personal hostility towards any politician.

The cleric said: “Obi would think I don’t like him. I am neutral. I don’t belong to Atiku, nor Tinubu, nor Peter Obi, nor to whoever.”

Ayodele’s statement follows his earlier remarks in the same video, in which he told Obi that he should have listened to his advice and insisted that the former governor was in the wrong political party.

The comments come amid preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with political parties and opposition figures working to strengthen their positions ahead of the next general election.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, has since moved through different political platforms in pursuit of his presidential ambition. He joined the African Democratic Congress in December 2025 before leaving the party for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in May 2026.

On May 30, 2026, Obi emerged as the NDC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, with Rabiu Kwankwaso announced as his running mate. The move placed the NDC at the centre of Obi’s renewed effort to contest the presidency.

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