Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take steps to prevent the release of certain documents held by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), warning that disclosure could have serious consequences for the president.
Ayodele made the remarks in a video circulating on X on August 31, 2026, amid an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case seeking records concerning Tinubu.
Ayodele Warns Tinubu
In the approximately 91-second video, Ayodele said: “President Tinubu should do everything possible to stop the FBI from releasing these documents because it could cost him a lot.”
Some versions of the video include the phrase “For the sake of Nigeria’s progress” before the advice. The clip shows Ayodele seated in a white ornate chair while speaking in religious attire, with some edited versions featuring images of Tinubu.
The comments have generated reactions online, with users debating the possible implications of the documents and the cleric’s warning.
FOIA Case Over Tinubu Records
The controversy is linked to a FOIA lawsuit filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who has requested records from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other U.S. agencies concerning Tinubu.
The requested records include the president’s FBI file and interview records connected to a 1992–1993 Chicago investigation involving suspected heroin trafficking. Tinubu was never criminally charged over the matter and has consistently denied involvement in drug trafficking.
The investigation also resulted in the forfeiture of about $460,000 linked to an account associated with Tinubu. The forfeiture was a civil proceeding and did not result in a criminal conviction against him.
FBI Seeks to Withhold Some Records
The agency has cited FOIA exemptions relating to law-enforcement techniques, privacy, informants and the potential safety of people connected to investigations. Some documents have already been processed and partially released with redactions, while other materials remain under seal for the court’s review.
Tinubu has intervened in the case through his lawyers, who have argued that further disclosure could violate his privacy rights.
Political Debate Ahead of 2027
Ayodele has previously made claims about U.S. documents concerning Tinubu. In his July 2026 publication Warnings to the Nations, he predicted that American officials would use documents against the president and engage with Nigeria’s electoral authorities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tinubu’s supporters, including former presidential aide Reno Omokri, have maintained that the president has no criminal conviction in the United States and that investigative records do not establish criminal guilt.
Opposition figures and civil society voices have meanwhile called for the release of non-exempt records, citing public interest in the matter.
As of September 1, 2026, the FOIA litigation remains before Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., and the court has yet to order a full public release of the contested records. Ayodele’s comments have added to the political discussion but do not change the status of the ongoing case.
