RismadarVoice Reporters
June 24, 2026
Former Kano State Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has initiated legal action against the founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, over alleged defamatory comments.
In a demand letter dated June 11, 2026, and issued by his solicitors, Magaji Mato Ibrahim, SAN & Co., Kwankwaso called on the cleric to immediately retract and apologise for statements allegedly made during a live-streamed church service.
According to the letter, Primate Ayodele allegedly claimed that Kwankwaso would betray Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and had been financially induced to accept the position of Obi’s running mate.
Kwankwaso’s legal team described the remarks as false, malicious, and defamatory, contending that they were calculated to tarnish his reputation, undermine public confidence in his integrity, and sow discord within the party and among its supporters.
The lawyers demanded a public retraction and unreserved apology within 24 hours, as well as an undertaking from the cleric to refrain from making further defamatory statements against their client.
They warned that failure to comply with the demands would leave Kwankwaso with no option but to institute legal proceedings seeking ₦10 billion in damages, in addition to legal costs and other reliefs deemed appropriate by the court.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no public response from Primate Ayodele regarding the allegations and demands contained in the letter.
