Why I named mosque after Tinubu’s mother — Primate Ayodele
The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has explained why he built a mosque and named it after the late mother of President Bola Tinubu, saying the
The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has explained why he built a mosque and named it after the late mother of President Bola Tinubu, saying the decision was inspired by divine instruction and a desire to promote religious harmony.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation while commissioning the new Mosque in Lagos, Ayodele said that although he is a Christian cleric, God directed him to build the mosque as a way of strengthening interfaith relationships in Nigeria.
According to him, the project was not driven by political interest or personal gain but by what he described as a divine mandate.
“I am not a Muslim; I am a notable Christian leader. For a Christian to build a mosque means a lot. God told me that I can do a lot in this country and that many pastors discriminate between Christians and Muslims. I do not disagree with any religion,” he said.
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Ayodele said he initially had plans to name the mosque after some prominent personalities, including the Sultan of Sokoto and other respected Muslim leaders, before he later received spiritual guidance to name it after the mother of the Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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“I had different names in mind when the mosque was being built. I thought of naming it after the Sultan or some of my prominent friends. But God later directed me to promote inter-religious activities, and that was how the decision eventually came,” he explained.
The cleric also dismissed suggestions that the move was intended to curry favour with the president or his family.
According to him, naming the mosque after the president’s mother does not prevent him from speaking the truth about governance.
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“Building the mosque in the name of the president’s mother does not mean I will not speak when things are wrong. If the president does what is not right, I will say it. Nobody can seal my mouth,” he stated.
Ayodele added that the initiative aimed to promote peace, unity, and mutual respect among adherents of different religions.
He lamented what he described as the growing divide between Christians and Muslims, noting that many believers are reluctant to associate with those of other faiths.
“Christians hardly attend to Muslims in their churches, and some Muslims do not attend Christian programmes. I do not belong to that kind of division. The aim is to preach peace and strengthen interfaith relationships,” he said.
The cleric said the mosque project is also part of broader humanitarian activities he runs, including food distribution during Ramadan and empowerment programmes for the needy.
He stressed that the initiative was purely a spiritual assignment, not an attempt to gain recognition or awards.
“I am not doing this for praise or awards. I am only doing what God asked me to do — to promote love among religions and show that we all serve one God,” he said.
