Kwankwaso threatens N10bn lawsuit against cleric over alleged defamation

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Vice Presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Governor of Kano State, has issued a legal threat against Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church. Kwankwaso demands a retraction and apology for alleged defamatory statements made by the cleric, seeking N10 billion in damages if his demands are not met within 24 hours.

According to a legal notice issued by Kwankwaso's lawyers, Primate Ayodele reportedly described the former Kano governor as "fake to Obi" and falsely claimed that Kwankwaso had been paid to accept the vice-presidential position on the NDC ticket. The legal team stressed that these remarks, made during a public sermon and widely circulated online, are "false, malicious and defamatory" and aimed at tarnishing Kwankwaso's reputation.

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Our client’s attention has been drawn to your viral publication which is trending on all social media platforms and in international and local news outlets, wherein you published malicious and defamatory contents against him geared toward tarnishing his long-earned reputation in Nigeria and beyond.

The legal notice, dated June 11, 2026, asserts that Kwankwaso has dedicated decades to public service, holding positions such as governor, minister, senator, deputy speaker, and presidential candidate. His lawyers argue that Ayodele's comments portray him as deceitful and politically unreliable, potentially damaging his personal standing and the unity within the NDC.

Kwankwaso's legal team demands a full and unequivocal retraction and apology across all platforms where the statements appeared, with the correction receiving equal prominence to the original publication. They also seek a written commitment from Primate Ayodele to refrain from making similar statements in the future. Failure to comply will result in Kwankwaso initiating legal proceedings to claim N10 billion in damages, legal costs, and other appropriate relief from the court.

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deliberate, premeditated, false, unprovoked, grossly unfounded and unsubstantiated