Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has issued a stark warning to Nigerians not to risk their lives for politicians, insisting that many political actors are only interested in using people and discarding them once elections are over.

In a video message shared on social media, Ayodele cautioned especially young Nigerians against being drawn into violence or dangerous political rivalries in exchange for money or short-term favours. He stressed that politicians across party lines often maintain cordial relationships with one another, even while their supporters engage in bitter and sometimes deadly clashes.

“Nigerians especially, don’t die for politicians. Tinubu and Atiku, they are friends. You only fight and kill yourself,” he said, noting that the real cost of political violence is borne by ordinary citizens and their families, not by the political elite.

Ayodele warned that those who allow themselves to be used as political thugs or enforcers are usually abandoned when trouble comes. According to him, promises of quick cash are a trap that leaves supporters to face arrest, injury, or death alone. “Don’t let them use you because of N1m or N500,000. If you lose, they shoot your leg or they kidnap you, it’s your headache,” he said.

He pointed to rival politicians who publicly clash during campaigns but later reconcile, leaving their followers to nurse the wounds of conflict. Citing examples from recent contests, he said figures like Ademola Adeleke and Gboyega Oyetola would eventually “greet themselves” and move on, while families of dead or injured supporters are left in grief.

The cleric also turned his criticism toward the relationship between politicians and religious leaders. He accused politicians of treating pastors the same way they treat ordinary supporters: as disposable tools. “They will only use you and dump you. They will use people like us too, pastors, and they will dump us,” he said, urging clergy to be wary of being drawn into partisan battles.

Ayodele questioned whether any politician would expose their own children to the same risks they encourage supporters to take. He urged Nigerians to remember that when opportunities arise, politicians tend to favour their inner circles and families first, leaving loyal followers with little to show for their sacrifices.

He called on young people entering politics to be cautious, avoid blind hero worship, and refuse to become casualties in struggles that do not genuinely serve their interests.