Kwankwaso Demands Retraction, Threatens Primate Elijah Ayodele With ₦10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit

KANO — The political landscape has been hit by legal fireworks following a formal demand letter by the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, threatening a ₦10 billion defamation lawsuit against the leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele.

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The legal ultimatum, issued through Kwankwaso’s legal team, Magaji Mato Ibrahim SAN & Co., gives the controversial Lagos-based cleric a strict 24-hour window to publish an unequivocal public apology and retract allegedly malicious statements made against the politician.

The Contentious Prophecy: Allegations of Deceit and Betrayal

The brewing legal battle stems from a sermon delivered by Primate Ayodele before his physical congregation, which was also live-streamed to an international audience on social media platforms.

In the viral clip, the cleric allegedly attacked the political integrity of Kwankwaso regarding his joint ticket with the NDC’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the upcoming general elections. According to the demand letter, Ayodele explicitly stated that:

“Kwankwaso is a fake to Obi, Kwankwaso will betray you, and Kwankwaso has been paid to be vice president.”

Kwankwaso’s lawyers described the assertions as deliberate, unprovoked, and grossly unsubstantiated, arguing that the remarks were strategically calculated to paint the former minister to right-thinking members of society as hypocritical, deceitful, and insincere.

Protecting a Decades-Long Public Legacy

Defending his principal’s reputation, Kwankwaso’s media aide, Hon. Saifullahi Hassan, confirmed that a formal notice had been served to the cleric. The legal team emphasized that Kwankwaso is a distinguished national and international figure who has spent decades building a legacy of principled public service.

“For decades, His Excellency Sen. Kwankwaso has stood as a steadfast advocate for ordinary Nigerians, distinguished by his principles, courage, and dedication to public service,” the legal team stated. “Recent attempts to undermine that legacy through false and misleading allegations have been met with a clear and formal legal response.”

The letter further stressed that public and religious influence must be exercised with extreme responsibility and anchored strictly on verifiable truths rather than speculative character assassination.

The 24-Hour Ultimatum

In the legal notice, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Magaji Mato Ibrahim, outlined three non-negotiable demands for Primate Ayodele to prevent an escalation to the courts:

1. An Immediate Retraction: A full, direct, and unequivocal retraction of the defamatory claims published across all local and international news and social media networks.
2. A Public Apology: A formal apology directed to Dr. Kwankwaso.
3. Cease-and-Desist Undertaking: A signed, written undertaking promising to permanently desist from publishing or broadcasting any further malicious content against the political leader on any medium.

The defense team concluded with a stern warning, stating they hold absolute instructions from the former governor to institute legal proceedings claiming substantial damages to the tune of ₦10 billion should the cleric fail or refuse to comply with the demands within the stipulated timeframe.

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