Several Nigerians have taken to the internet and other platforms to blast Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, over his recent petition to the DSS against Primate Elijah Ayodele, whom he accused of trying to extort him of N150 million.
In his petition, which was published on a few news platforms yesterday, Adelabu stated that Primate Ayodele asked him to purchase 1,000 trumpets for prayers after he sought his help for his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
In his reaction, signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele clarified that he never asked the minister to bring money, neither did he say the trumpets would be for his own use, but that it was purely a spiritual direction which required him to purchase the materials himself.
The prophet denied requesting money from the minister, and this was also confirmed in the text messages exchanged between the prophet and the minister. He categorically told Adelabu to buy the items himself, but the minister, in turn, asked the prophet to help him find out the price, which was what brought about the N150 million saga, which the prophet didn’t even ask him to bring to him.
Nigerians reacting to this case have blasted the Minister of Power for showing desperation in becoming the next governor of Oyo State after failing several times because, obviously, the people don’t want him to rule them.
One of the reactions, made by Folashade Adetola, described the minister as a busybody who has abandoned his duty as a minister to fight unnecessary battles that may eventually consume him.
“I think Bayo Adelabu has so much time on his hands despite the epileptic nature of our power supply. He is clearly a busybody who has abandoned his primary duty to involve himself in battles that won’t lead him anywhere other than destruction. He is just too desperate.”
Another person, Johnson Akinawo, commended the prophet for not allowing it to get to a stage where the minister sent money to him, while describing the minister as someone who cannot be trusted with power or anything.
“Adelabu doesn’t know that what he has done simply exposed him even more than Primate Ayodele. He has exposed himself as someone who cannot be trusted with anything, and definitely not power. Thank God he didn’t send money to the prophet, and the prophet didn’t also ask him to send money. I wonder what people like this are doing in power.”
Likewise, Afolabi Nureni described the situation as Adelabu setting himself up and exposing his secret dealings to Nigerians, party leaders, Muslim clerics, and President Tinubu.
“Adelabu was advised wrongly with this thing he did. It will lead him nowhere, and I see this as self-sabotage. It’s a big setup for him if he doesn’t know yet, and he has exposed himself to everyone. They now know the kind of person he is. As a Muslim, you are exposing your dealings with Christian clerics. It simply shows your desperation for power.”
A political analyst, Kareem Ajani, explained that Adelabu is digging his political grave with the petition to the DSS and his further actions exposing the exchange of messages between him and the prophet. He stated that the prophet asking him to get musical instruments is obviously not for his church alone, but instead of quietly ignoring the request if he couldn’t fulfil it, he went through a very bad route.
“I think this is why Adelabu will always lose elections. He isn’t a politician; he is just lucky to be where he is because of Tinubu’s magnanimity. He hasn’t started his career as a politician at all, and what he has done proves to everyone that he may never be a good politician. He has dug his political grave, and everyone will start running from him. The man didn’t even force you; it was a transaction that didn’t go successfully. He should have just moved on, but let’s see where this leads him.”
