By Adetola Olowu, Niger
Some months ago, the United States of America designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to the alleged incessant killings of Christians in several parts of the country.
The U.S. government frowned at the killings, claiming that the country is being ruled by Muslims, and vowed that there would be boots on the ground to protect Christians who are allegedly being killed daily by Islamic extremists.
While this highlights a serious issue, it also points to the fact that the country suffers from a gross lack of religious tolerance. When the U.S. made these allegations against Muslims, clerics from the other religion corroborated the statements, alleging that there are plans to Islamize Nigeria.
In many parts of the country, Muslims and Christians are seen as opposing sides, whereas in reality, they worship the same God but in different ways and traditions. Nigeria now appears to be a country where both religions cannot tolerate each other; they openly criticize one another and often incite their members against each other.
Amid this situation, a popular Nigerian prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has gracefully offered himself as a bridge-builder between Christians and Muslims. He has taken it upon himself to ensure that religious tolerance is embraced in the country and to give Nigeria a better global outlook.
Primate Ayodele has long associated with Muslims. Many often wonder about the God they call upon in his church because it is common to see Muslims wearing hijabs attending his church services without any form of discrimination. He has attended Ramadan lectures where he preached, and he has openly identified with Islamic clerics on several occasions. During the Ramadan period, he is known for always sharing food with the Muslim community, and when the fasting ends, he goes further by giving out chickens, bags of rice, cash gifts, and other items to dedicated Muslims. This has been happening for decades.
When the U.S. government accused Nigeria of allowing Christian genocide, Primate Ayodele, despite being a prominent Christian cleric, dismissed the allegation. He clarified that Christians are not the only ones affected by the attacks, as Muslims are also victims. He told President Donald Trump that instead of being described as Christian genocide, it should be framed as religious genocide since both religions are targets of the attacks.
As expected, Primate Ayodele faced backlash for his clarification, with many calling him different names. However, he did not back down; rather, he continued preaching against the narrative of Christian genocide.
As if that was not enough, Primate Ayodele went further to build a mosqueāa development that is extremely rare. As a pastor, even going near a mosque is often viewed by some as controversial, yet Primate Ayodele was willing to be called different names just to fill the gap of religious tolerance in Nigeria.
When he announced plans to build the mosque, many predicted that members of his church would leave him. Some said he was not called by God, while others claimed he was merely seeking attention. Some even alleged that the devil was using him. However, he completed the mosque within a few months, and as we speak, it has been commissioned and has begun operations.
While doing all these, parts of the Christian community expressed strong grievances toward the prophet because of what many people had grown up believing about both religions. Several prominent figures in both Christian and Islamic communities have passed down misconceptions about religion to younger generations. Seeing someone do what had never been done before understandably raised eyebrows. However, Primate Ayodele was never deterred; instead, he continued preaching the need for religious tolerance in Nigeria.
Interestingly, it appears that the efforts of Primate Ayodele in promoting religious tolerance have begun to influence others. Just weeks after he built a mosque, a notable Celestial prophet was seen in Mecca observing pilgrimage. Also, over the weekend, a Nigerian politician who is a devout Muslim hosted a Ramadan lecture and invited a prophet to speak to the audience.
In recognition of his efforts in promoting religious tolerance in the country, the Arewa Gamji Emirate Royal Council from Kaduna awarded Primate Ayodele the Wambai Gamji title yesterday at his Lagos churchāanother indication that the message of religious tolerance is gradually gaining acceptance.
More recognitions are expected to follow, but Primate Ayodele did not do all these for recognition. He acted after receiving what he described as divine instructions from God, with the sole aim of uniting Christians and Muslims in Nigeria and beyond. With this, many others are expected to follow suit, all thanks to Primate Ayodele, who has become a pacesetter for religious tolerance in Nigeria.
