Founder and Spiritual Leader of INRI Spiritual Evangelical Church, Oke Afa, Isolo, Lagos State, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, has been described as one of Nigeria’s most religiously tolerant Christian leaders, with supporters praising his approach to interfaith harmony and coexistence.
The commendation, attributed to his defenders, highlights Ayodele’s stance on peaceful relations among different religious groups in the country.
According to those close to the cleric, his teachings and public engagements consistently emphasize unity, mutual respect, and dialogue across faith lines.
They argue that his leadership reflects a commitment to reducing religious tensions in Nigeria, a nation often marked by diverse beliefs and occasional sectarian challenges.
The recognition adds to ongoing conversations about the role of religious leaders in promoting national cohesion and tolerance.
The Ayodele’s defenders, under the aegis of NIGERIA FIRST, said in a statement signed by its Chairman, Nasraudeen Abbas, an editorial contributor and public affairs analyst, that “Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele is a Christian leader that is out not to trade inter-religious peace and co-existence for Western hard currency to the detriment of their host-country where they are located, living and practicing their faith.
“We need more like him and among few others we can mention are the Founder and General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church in Nigeria, Pastor William Folorunsho kumuyi, and Acting Nuncio of World Bishops Council (WBC) in Africa, Bishop Seun Adeoye. We are still in search for others to be identified and commended. These are excellent Christian religious leaders of peace, whose idea about life is ‘Live to Let Others Live’.”
Unfortunately, these three Christian clerics are not noticeably participants in the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) led by Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Affairs (NSCIA), and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), NF said while noting not to speak on their behalf.
But, it said, “Nigeria needs the likes of Primate Babatunde Ayodele, Pastor Kumuyi and Bishop Adeoye to complement the national peace, unity and harmonious co-existence of Nigerians in diversity that Sultan of Sokoto His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, chose as his pet project from the his day one on the throne that Nigeria may know true peace, security and development.
“By their contributions to national peace and unity, there are lessons for many other Christian leaders to learn. Look for example those who went and conscripted the idea of Christian genocide for which United States of America President Donald Trump vane to bomb wrong targets citing defence of Christians alone against killing by terrorists as if Christian are anything near the count of Muslim victims of those criminal elements. These are Christian leaders who always think that Jesus Christ was about bread and butter.
“They are also complemented by some terrorists in South East Nigeria being backed by some US Congressmen to achieve their committed idea of splitting, dividing the unsplitable, indivisible Nigeria into Republic of Biafra and others. These are the real enemies of Nigeria because they are the reason for all the religious rights breaches against which the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has severally complained.
“They are the ones that have encroached into the South West abd North where hypocrisy is now the other of the day as elements in the act try hard to tag Islam as religion with a pool for violence and Muslims as terrorists Christians. They are the ones who are now working hard to make Hausa of Northern Nigeria open already healed wound to say no to Fulani in the region. But they forgot that even in Yoruba Land, many of the people in the place shout not be allowed today because they too got to where they are by either migration or war. Just line those that claim to retrieve Ilorin back to Yoruba of South West.
“These are real enemies of Nigeria that a sincere government elected by the people in a free, fair and credible election should have the gut stop before they stop Nigeria from getting better. They are the people whom the good work of Primate Babatunde Ayodele, Pastor Kumuyi and Bishop Seun Adeoye should teach the lesson to either change or die with their evils that Nigeria will be free and move forward in peace.”
Signed:
Nasrudeen Abbas,
Chairman, NIGERIA FIRST
Thursday March 26, 2026.
