Kwankwaso demands N10bn from Primate Ayodele over defamation claims

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the National Democratic Congress vice presidential candidate and former Kano State governor, has demanded that Primate Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church retract and apologise for allegedly defamatory remarks made during a church service. According to a demand letter issued on June 11, 2026, and signed by Kwankwaso's legal team led by Magaji Mato Ibrahim, the cleric has 24 hours to comply or face a N10 billion defamation lawsuit.

The controversy centres on comments attributed to Primate Ayodele during a livestreamed church service in which he allegedly described Kwankwaso as fake, claimed he would betray running mate Peter Obi, and suggested he was paid to undermine the NDC's political interests. A video recording of the sermon circulated widely on social media and attracted substantial public attention, prompting Kwankwaso's legal response.

The OK Movement, a support group backing Kwankwaso, released a statement endorsing the legal action and demanding the cleric honour the retraction request. Kwankwaso's media aide, Saifullahi Hassan, made the demand letter publicly available on Wednesday through official social media channels.

Primate Ayodele has not yet issued a public response to the demand letter or the threat of legal action as of the time of reporting. The case represents an escalation in public disputes between prominent religious figures and political actors in Nigeria's pre-election environment.