The founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Babatunde Ayodele, has released his prophecies for 2026, outlining predictions on Nigeria’s politics, the 2027 general election, the economy, security, sports and global affairs.
The cleric unveiled the forecasts on Saturday at a church conference, weeks ahead of the traditional crossover-night prophecies that many Nigerian pastors deliver on 31 December.
In recent years, Mr Ayodele has built a reputation for issuing annual predictions touching on politics, security and international relations.
His followers often cite some past forecasts, such as warnings ahead of elections, public protests and global conflicts, as evidence of accuracy, although critics routinely question their interpretation and verifiability.
Nigeria, Tinubu and the 2027 election
Speaking on Nigeria’s political future, Mr Ayodele said the 2027 general election would be fiercely contested and driven less by party loyalty than by “integrity, delivery and substance.”
He warned that some northern elders would oppose President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and advised him to strengthen alliances in the South-east, North-central and North-east.
According to the cleric, the North would be divided politically, with opposition elements allegedly sponsoring attacks on APC campaign convoys and billboards.
Mr Ayodele also cautioned that vote-buying and rigging would feature prominently, alleging that two major political parties would engage in such practices. He predicted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would expose several politicians, triggering pushback against the agency.
On key political figures, the cleric said former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar should brace for “blackmail,” while warning President Tinubu that some elder statesmen and former aides he might trust could betray him. He further predicted that some top officials in the Tinubu administration would be indicted and that the president would eventually relieve at least one minister.
Despite these challenges, Mr Ayodele said Mr Tinubu would “go the extra mile politically, economically, spiritually and technically” in his bid to secure a second term.
Protests, security and governance
The INRI founder predicted at least eight major protests against the Tinubu administration in 2026, alongside what he described as “nemesis protests.” He also warned of attacks on the convoys of some members of the National Assembly and state houses of assembly.
On security, he said Nigeria would experience both peace and betrayal within its security architecture, urging prayers against plane crashes in Africa and globally. He also predicted emergency aircraft landings in Nigeria and a military plane crash somewhere in the world.
Economy, infrastructure and society
Mr Ayodele forecast instability in electricity supply, warning of frequent grid failures and rising costs. He also said treasury bills would create problems for some banks.
However, he projected gains in tourism and improvements in Nigeria’s cybersecurity capacity, alongside the creation of a new state. He warned of a major fallout between President Tinubu and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.
The cleric also predicted the death of a Nigerian boxer and a footballer, and urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to “watch his health and utterances.”
He also claimed that the country will witness the loss of a footballer and a boxer adding that service providers such as MTN and GLO would experience technical shutdown.
International outlook
Beyond Nigeria, Mr Ayodele said some African and Asian countries would produce nuclear weapons, while the United States would “remove sitting presidents” and frustrate major tech firms including TikTok, Google and Amazon.
He predicted tensions between Iran and the European Union, and warned that NATO and the EU would confront Russia but fail. He also cautioned that Nigeria’s relationship with France could threaten the country’s sovereignty.
A familiar pattern
As in previous years, Mr Ayodele’s prophecies spanned politics, economics, security, sports and global affairs.
In past editions, the cleric has claimed to foresee political upsets, leadership crises and international conflicts, some of which his supporters argue later unfolded in different forms.
