Primate Ayodele warns Zambian opposition: Coalition key to defeating incumbent

Founder and General Overseer of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned that the forthcoming general election in Zambia will be extremely tough and competitive, stressing that only a strong coalition of opposition forces can successfully unseat the incumbent president.

Primate Ayodele made this prophetic disclosure on Tuesday, in Lagos, while addressing journalists on regional political developments in Africa.

According to the cleric, no single opposition party possesses the political strength or structure to defeat the sitting president, insisting that unity among opposition groups remains the only viable pathway to victory.

“The election in Zambia will be a very tough one. Coalition is the answer to removing the president,” Primate Ayodele declared.

He further alleged that the incumbent administration may resort to what he described as technical rigging and other strategies aimed at weakening the opposition, urging political actors and observers to remain vigilant.

“The president is planning to do some technical rigging, which the opposition must not allow. There will be attempts to shut down the internet, financially frustrate the opposition, arrest opposition figures and blackmail them,” he warned.

Primate Ayodele also claimed that the president would seek spiritual intervention ahead of the polls as political tensions heighten.

“And the president will go spiritual,” he added.

Emphasising the necessity of unity, the outspoken cleric maintained that disunity among opposition parties would only strengthen the incumbent’s grip on power.

“If the opposition must defeat the president, they must form a coalition. They must come together; that is the only way. If they are not united, it is going to be a very tough election,” he said.

He reiterated that individual political efforts would be insufficient in such a high-stakes contest.

“One person cannot do it alone. Coalition is the only way,” Primate Ayodele stressed.