Kwankwaso Sues Ayodele Over Defamatory Remarks

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano State and a vice presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has filed a lawsuit against Primate Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church. The legal action stems from allegedly defamatory remarks made by Ayodele during a live-streamed church service on June 11, 2026.

In the remarks, Ayodele claimed that Kwankwaso would betray Peter Obi, who is his running mate in the NDC. Kwankwaso's legal team, led by Magaji Mato Ibrahim, has demanded an immediate retraction and apology from Ayodele, labeling the comments as unprovoked and grossly unfounded.

They assert that the statements were designed to create discord within the political party. The legal team has given Ayodele a strict 24-hour ultimatum to retract his statements across social media platforms and news outlets, threatening to pursue legal action for damages amounting to ten billion naira if he fails to comply.