Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder and spiritual head of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke Afa, Lagos, has personally funded and inaugurated a mosque named in honour of President Bola Tinubu’s late mother, Abibatu Mogaji.
The grand unveiling took place on Saturday during Ayodele’s annual thanksgiving event at Oke-Afa, Lagos, attracting religious leaders, politicians, traditional rulers, and entertainment personalities.
Notably, Tinubu’s first daughter, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, sent representatives in her absence, while Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba was represented by his Special Adviser on Islamic Matters.
Ayodele described the mosque project as a divine mandate rather than a political statement.
“Building this mosque isn’t because I want attention or anything from anyone; it was a divine instruction that I cannot ignore,” he said.
“I am only answerable to God, so whatever anyone says doesn’t matter to me as long as God is pleased with me.”
He emphasized that the mosque is purely a house of worship for God, akin to churches, and formally handed it over to a Muslim cleric present at the event.
On the naming, Ayodele revealed he had initially intended to call it Folawuyo Mosque but changed it following what he described as divine direction, insisting the gesture was not politically motivated or aimed at securing favours.
Muslim clerics hailed the act as a powerful symbol of interfaith unity. One cleric, opening with Christian hymns, quoted Proverbs 3:3 and praised Ayodele for demonstrating that “we are one,” promising reciprocal goodwill.
A representative of the Chief Imam of Ikorodu Division likened Ayodele to a true prophet, drawing parallels between his name Elijah and the Quranic prophetic figure, while urging Nigerians to avoid religious conflicts and embrace unity.
