The Spiritual Leader of INRI Evangelical Church, Lagos State, Primate Elijah Ayodele has said that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will find it difficult to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 2019 polls. He said PDP would not be able to stop Buhari from winning the 2019 election because the party refused to do the right thing. According to Ayodele, he had warned the PDP to give the presidential ticket to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki. In this interview conducted by VERA WISDOM-BASSEY, Ayodele still maintains that it’s only Saraki that can unseat Buhari, while pointing out how Atiku can win among other national issues.
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What is the hope of the common man in Nigeria?
The government has nothing for the common man in Nigeria, that is what I see, the common man is just nothing before them. I call on the leaders to be closer to God; to be sustained and survive.
Shouldn’t the big churches come to the rescue of the people?
All those big churches are supposed to have hospitals where they should treat Nigerians free, but it seems their own market is more expensive than the government’s. The churches are making life difficult for the people, especially the big churches, in the sense that they request for money from their members, and these members cannot afford two square meal.
How can the government improve the economy?
Why not put the right people to plan the economy. It should be planned for the common man. As it stands now, if any state pays N30,000 as minimum wage, the economy will shut down. One of the things affecting the economy is the oil wells, why is the oil-rig given to the individual? Why not let each state manage it and if they don’t manage it well then, they are on their own. There are talks about recovered looted funds, where is the recovered looted fund? What are they using it for? Let the recovered looted funds be used appropriately, all these are not happening. They may say it’s given to state governors, who are the state governors? What of the monthly allowances they collect?
Are we still going to see an anointed leader emerge in February?
I am still saying it, there is nobody that God cannot use, and the person I am still saying is Saraki. The election is going to bring more problems. If Buhari wins, there is going to be more problems, not APC or PDP or any political association is our problem now. At the moment, we are in problem, they are all confused on what to do.
After the election, there is still going to be more problems, after Buhari’s government, what will happen next is a serious agitation for break up, there will be too many people to contend with. There will be an argument on zones, this one will say this is our zone and that is our zone, the world is watching on what has been threatening the unity of Nigeria, Nigeria’s unity is under threat.
Amnesty International was asked to move out of Nigeria by the military as a result of a report they gave, do you think this is right for us as a country?
Let us not trouble ourselves on Amnesty International because there is still going to be another body that will still fight Buhari’s government. And there is still going to be trouble in IDP camps as a result of the outbreak of disease that will ravage the people there.
Do you think the election will be free and fair?
There will be a free and fair election.
What is the future for Nigeria?
God is the future of Nigeria.
Buhari said this year will be tougher than last year, what will happen to an average Nigerian?
Even if it’s not Buhari that will win, any other person that enters there will still find it tough. That is why we have to set aside January 14 for prayers.