The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned that Nigerians could face deeper economic hardship if they elect what he described as the “wrong candidate” in the 2027 presidential election.

Ayodele, in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, predicted that petrol could rise to N2,500 per litre and diesel to N3,000 under such a scenario.

The cleric also forecast increases in electricity tariffs, examination fees and the price of cement, alongside worsening insecurity and economic pressures.

“If Nigeria votes for the wrong candidate in 2027, petrol will rise to N2,500, and diesel will go to N3,000. There will be economic hardship, and insecurity will increase,” Ayodele said.

He further predicted the emergence of another terrorist group, warning that the development could compound Nigeria’s security challenges.

“Another new terrorist group will come up, and electricity tariffs will rise. WAEC fee will rise to N70,000, and a bag of cement will rise to N18,000 regardless of whatever Dangote does,” he said.

According to the cleric, the poor would bear the brunt of the predicted economic difficulties, while unfavourable policies, declining foreign reserves and increased corruption could further worsen conditions.

“The poor will suffer it greatly, and everything will change. There will be wrong policies, our foreign reserves will go down, corruption will increase,” he added.

Ayodele urged Nigerians to scrutinise the candidates ahead of the 2027 election rather than making voting decisions based on immediate material inducements.

“Nigerians must open their eyes before voting for any candidate in the forthcoming election. This election will determine a lot, and if care isn’t taken, Nigerians will move into another round of hardship,” he said.

The cleric said he would in the coming months disclose what he described as “God’s choice” for Nigerians and explain how citizens could identify the candidate he considers suitable.

“In the coming days, I will reveal God’s choice for Nigerians in the coming election. I will let the people know how to identify the best candidate, but it’s left to them to decide what they want to follow,” he said.

Ayodele’s warning comes amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to cushion transportation costs through alternative energy, particularly compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric-powered public transport.

President Bola Tinubu, in an update on the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme on Saturday, directed state governments to intensify efforts to ensure that more Nigerians begin to experience measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1.

Tinubu said the initiative followed his August 27 meeting with the 36 state governors, after which an implementation committee was established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The President cited existing reductions in transport fares in several states, including Borno, Oyo, Adamawa, Enugu, Plateau and Niger, which he attributed to CNG and electric-powered transport schemes.

Tinubu said more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG over the past three years, while Nigeria now has more than 400 certified CNG conversion centres and over 90 CNG refuelling stations.

He also rejected calls for a return to the petrol subsidy regime, arguing that it had exposed the economy to international oil-price fluctuations and consumed trillions of naira.