Former Kano State Governor and vice-presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Musa Kwankwaso, has threatened to file a N10 billion defamation suit against Primate Elijah Ayodele over alleged remarks linking him to a plot to betray the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Kwankwaso, through his legal representatives, Magaji Mato Ibrahim, SAN & Co., issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, demanding an immediate retraction and public apology for statements allegedly made during a church service and later circulated on social media.
In a demand letter dated June 11, 2026, and signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Magaji Mato Ibrahim, the legal team described the comments as "false, malicious and defamatory," accusing the cleric of portraying Kwankwaso as politically insincere and untrustworthy.
The lawyers warned that failure to comply with their demands would leave their client with no option but to institute legal proceedings seeking N10 billion in damages.
According to the letter, the alleged remarks have been widely shared across social media platforms and reported by several news outlets, causing reputational harm to the former governor.
The letter, titled *"Re: Publication of False, Malicious and Derogatory Post Against His Excellency, Dr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso; Demand for Immediate Retraction and Apology,"* stated that Kwankwaso has held several public offices, including Governor of Kano State, Minister of Defence, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senator, presidential candidate, and currently serves as Peter Obi's running mate under the NDC.
The legal team alleged that during a sermon broadcast to a large audience, Primate Ayodele described Kwankwaso as "a fake to Obi," and claimed he "will betray" the NDC presidential candidate and had been "paid to be vice president to Obi."
According to the lawyers, the statements were "deliberate, premeditated, false, unprovoked, grossly unfounded and unsubstantiated."
They argued that the comments were capable of damaging Kwankwaso's credibility, political integrity and public reputation, while also creating divisions within the NDC and among its supporters.
"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 letter stated.
The legal team demanded that Ayodele publish a full and unequivocal retraction and apology across all platforms where the alleged comments appeared, with the same level of prominence as the original publication.
They also requested a written undertaking that the cleric would refrain from making or republishing similar statements about Kwankwaso in the future.
The lawyers warned that if the demands are not met within 24 hours, they have been instructed to commence legal action to recover N10 billion in damages for the alleged defamation.
