Renowned cleric Primate Elijah Ayodele has once again faced public criticism after his recent prophecy about Nigeria’s Super Eagles star, Ademola Lookman, failed to materialize.
Ejes Gist News reports that Ayodele had warned that Lookman would bring misfortune to the Nigerian national team during the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament and advised the coach to omit him from the squad for the crucial match against Tanzania. Contrary to the cleric’s forecast, Lookman played a decisive role, scoring a vital goal that secured Nigeria’s victory and highlighted the accuracy of the coaching staff’s decision.
Critics and observers across social and mainstream media have seized on the failed prediction to label Ayodele a fake prophet, pointing to a long history of prophesies that did not come to pass. Repeated inaccuracies have increasingly undermined his credibility as a religious figure and raised questions about the legitimacy of his claimed prophetic abilities.
Documented Failed Prophecies and Public Backlash Multiple documented missteps have fueled public scrutiny and accusations that Ayodele’s prophecies are unreliable and speculative rather than divinely inspired. Widely noted failures include: 2015 Nigerian general election forecast: Ayodele predicted that former President Goodluck Jonathan would remain in power and that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would secure several governorship seats, including Kaduna.
The results contradicted his claims, with Jonathan losing the presidency and the PDP failing to secure key states. Deputy governors publicly rejected the prophecy as unfounded. Football and sports predictions: He forecast that Liverpool would defeat Luton Town by a multi-goal margin, but the match ended in a draw. U.S. presidential election prediction: Ayodele stated that Vice President Kamala Harris, not Donald Trump, would win the U.S. election.
This prediction failed. Political and security forecasts: His prophecy that several deputy governors would experience conflicts with their governors before the end of their tenure was formally refuted by the officeholders. Other incorrect forecasts: Predictions on APC’s political prospects in Lagos and an alleged return of Ebola in Nigeria also did not materialize.
