By Daudu Alamu
Williams Shakespeare’s classic, “She Stoops to Conquer”, has survived the ages as one of the best creative efforts from the English legendary Playwright. In the dramatic rendition, a lady had relinquished her high status in the society, humbling herself to find true love. And indeed, she found it. That was a lovely story ending happily. Ever since, the idiomatic expression, “stooping to conquer ” has gained prominence among writers and orators with many others deploying it to denote some unfortunate and negative scenarios.
What had happened in the on-going media war between Nigeria’s power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, and the renowned seer, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, General Overseer of the Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke-Afa, Lagos, fits more into a negative deployment of the phrase, “stooping to conquer” to describe such situation. A critical examination of the war of words between the two individuals would assist more in throwing more light into this position.
While Mr. Adelabu is accusing the cleric of blackmailing him after he has allegedly turned down an offer to pay some money, (allegedly N150 million Naira) for spiritual assistance, the cleric had countered the claim, asserting that it was the Minister indeed, who had earlier sent his emissaries to him, notifying him of his intention to become the Oyo State governor by all means possible and requesting for some spiritual assistance from the cleric.
If indeed Mr. Adelabu had consulted the cleric and sought for spiritual assistance from him, and the cleric had responded by making some demands in exchange for what Mr. Adelabu sought for, such encounter becomes a mutual transaction, exclusively meant to be between the duo. One then wonders why Mr. Adelabu would “stoop so low” as to exhibit pitiable desperation in his bid to become governor by spreading smear campaign against Primate Ayodele, a man who has always spoken the mind of the Almighty God in his every encounter with both the high, mighty and lowly.
Primate Ayodele it was, who predicted that Nigerians would face unprecedented hardship during President Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure, and that has since happened alongside other accurate predictions. Ayodele’s accurate predictions had endeared him to many who consult him for spiritual directions.
But Adelabu, according to reports, had petitioned the DSS claiming Primate Ayodele asked him for N150 million allegedly for ‘spiritual intercession’. A claim the popular cleric denied while he stated that Adelabu indeed approached him first for spiritual help.
Countering Adelabu’s claims, Primate Ayodele had told the media: “He (Adelabu) sent emissaries to me because he was desperate to become Oyo governor. I didn’t blackmail him. We didn’t have any transaction. And no money was exchanged between us,”
We all know politicians are fond of spreading smear campaign against their opponents as a political gimmick to ensure the electorates prefer them to that opponent. But a situation whereby a politician’s desperation detests decorum, and becomes so full blown that he attacks a Man of God and one of such prominence as Primate Ayodele, calls for serious concern.
Mr. Adelabu had consulted the respected cleric out of his conviction that the man of God could assist him with prayers in his bid to govern Oyo State. He is not the only one who consults the Primate. Hundreds of Nigerian politicians do. But what is curious about Mr. Adelabu is why he decides to spread smear campaign against a man he had on his own, consulted for spiritual assistance?
If you were convinced that a man of God could assist you and made frantic efforts to reach out to him and he gave you some instructions regarding your political ambition and how such could be achieved, and you don’t agree with such terms, why would you decide to sponsor smear campaign against such a man?
Adelabu sent his emissaries to meet Primate Ayodele and ensured that he has discussions with the cleric. The cleric gave him terms on which his ambition could be helped spiritually. He didn’t agree. And the encounter terminated at that pont.
According to Primate Ayodele, he never made any attempt to extort Adelabu nor did he blackmail him in any way to get money from him. The cleric said Adelabu himself sent people to find out the cost of the things the cleric recommended for him to procure, it was discovered that the prices of those things have gone terribly high. Is that the fault of the cleric? If Mr. Adelabu never believed in Primate Ayodele as a true man of God, why on earth did he consult him for prayers and critical spiritual assistance? Why did he come to someone he claims is dishing out fake prophesies?.”
We are not surprised at Mr. Adelabu’s double standard borne mainly out of immaturity. Politicians when in desperation, do the unthinkable. But our advice for this man is to thread softly when matters involve men of God of the stature of Primate Ayodele less he offend God and incur the Almighty’s wrath. A word they say is enough for the wise.