The vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has threatened Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church with a N10 billion damages lawsuit for failure to comply.

Kwankwaso’s media aide, Hon. Saifullahi Hassan, posted a statement defending his boss’ decades-long reputation for public service while announcing a formal legal demand letter sent to Primate Ayodele.

The letter dated June 11, 2026 accused the pastor of publishing viral defamatory claims, including that Kwankwaso is “fake to Obi,” will betray him, and has been paid to be vice presidential running mate under the NDC platform.

“For decades, His Excellency Sen. Kwankwaso PhD, FNSE, has stood as a steadfast advocate for ordinary Nigerians, distinguished by his principles, courage, and dedication to public service,” the letter read.

“Recent attempts to undermine that legacy through false and misleading allegations have been met with a clear and formal legal response.

“The public influence must be exercised with responsibility and truth must remain our guide.”

The notice demanded retraction, apology, and a written undertaking to cease such statements within 24 hours across all platforms, threatening a N10b damages lawsuit for failure to comply.

“Our client is a public national and international figure, having been the former Governor of Kano State for two terms, former Minister of Defence, former Member and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, a distinguished Senator and a former Presidential Candidate and the current Vice-presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC),” the letter further read.

“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 reputaion in Nigeria and beyond.

“In the said publication, while addressing a physical congregation and being video recorded deliberately to your knowledge and televised on a live stream to an unquantifiable audience, you expressly and without cause stated amongst other things as follows; ‘KWANKWASO IS A FAKE TO OBI, KWANKWASO WILL BETRAY YOU. KWANKWASO HAS BEEN PAID TO BE VICE PRESIDENT TO OBI AMONG OTHER LIBELOUS COMMENTS WHILE PRETENDING TO BE A PREACHER’.

“The publication directly and unequivocally refers to our client and attacks his credibility, sincerity of purpose and political integrity as the vice presidential candidate and running mate to Peter Obi under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) political party.

“Your assertions which are deliberate, premeditated, false, unprovoked, grossly unfounded and unsubstantiated meant and negatively portrays our client to right thinking members of the society as deviant, hypocritic, deceitful and insincere.

“The intended messages in your publication are carefully designed and curated to gravely damage the sparkling reputation which our client has painstakingly built over the years and to create a rift within the ranks of the members of NDC and their teeming supporters alike.”

In the light of the foregoing, Kwankwaso’s legal team has, thereby, categorically demanded from Primate Ayodele as follows: “That you immediately within 24 hours publish a full, direct and unequivocal retraction of and apology for the false, malicious and defamatory publication against our client, on all social media platforms and reputable local and international news outlets, while ensuring that the retraction and apology is given the same visibility and prominence as your defamatory publication.

“You provide a written undertaking that henceforth, you will cease and desist from publishing or republishing any defamatory or malicious content against our client through any medium and on any platform whatsoever.

“Take notice that if you neglect, fail or refuse to accede to our reasonable demands within the stipulated time frame, we have our client’s unflinching instruction to take out appropriate legal proceedings against you without further recourse to you, wherein we shall claim substantial damages to the tune of 10 billion naira and cost of the action on a full indemnity basis amongst other reliefs. A stitch in time saves nine!.” (Guardian)

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