2027: Primate Ayodele warns Tinubu over alleged plan to drop Shettima

 

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is considering replacing Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric claimed that the President’s alleged plan is connected to what he described as the political consequences of the Muslim–Muslim ticket adopted in the 2023 election.

Primate Ayodele said he had earlier cautioned President Tinubu against the ticket, warning that it could create internal challenges for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He further alleged that there were ongoing considerations within the party to pick a sitting governor as a replacement for Shettima, a move he warned could backfire if handled poorly.

“If Shettima is removed acrimoniously, it will affect the party because he will work against its interests,” Ayodele claimed.

The cleric also advised the President against choosing any governor who recently defected to the APC, particularly from the North, noting that such a decision could provoke political tension in the region.

“If any of the decamping governors from the North is picked, it will cause aggression in the North,” he warned.

Speaking on the administration’s performance, Primate Ayodele said President Tinubu was making efforts to govern but was being confronted by what he described as “betrayal and nemesis.”

According to him, some individuals publicly supporting the President were secretly working against him, while certain aides were allegedly restricting access to those who could offer meaningful assistance.

On insecurity, the cleric alleged that foreign interests were undermining the government’s security efforts.

“No matter the security formation put in place, some foreign powers are not comfortable with this government and know how to puncture its security architecture,” he said.

The Presidency has yet to react to the claims.