Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned President Bola Tinubu about the growing political weight of the ‘Bamayi’ chant in northern Nigeria, describing it as a powerful movement poised to unseat the administration.*
In a statement issued by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric explained that while the chant may seem ordinary on the surface, it functions as a spiritual movement driven by widespread public discontent.
According to Primate Ayodele, the North has lost trust in Tinubu’s leadership, warning that the President could face hostile receptions if he campaigns in the core northern region.
“Tinubu must be careful about going to the North because they don’t want him. They don’t trust him with power, and they are not happy with the government,” Ayodele said. “This has gone beyond the leaders, because the masses are no longer interested in listening to them; they just want a new government, which is why the *Bamayi* chant is spreading rapidly.”
He cautioned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against taking the movement for granted, noting that the sentiment is poised to affect not just the presidency, but also state governors, senators, and members of the House of Representatives.
“The ruling party hasn’t realized the magnitude of this. It is a campaign to remove the ruling party, and northerners are ready for it. *Bamayi* will have a massive impact because it is real,” he added.
Describing *Bamayi* as the ideological opposite of the famous *‘Emilokan’* slogan, the cleric asserted that the movement stems from a specific source that the presidency must identify and address, otherwise the momentum will be nearly impossible to halt.
“They must not joke with it, but quickly adjust and do what is needful. There will be widespread rejection before and during the election. Some candidates may even find it difficult to campaign in certain areas because of this. People will come out en masse to vote for change despite any attempts at disenfranchisement.”
