Kwankwaso gives Primate Ayodele 24-hour ultimatum

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Primate Elijah Ayodele, threatening a 10 billion naira defamation lawsuit unless the cleric retracts and apologizes for comments made during a sermon. The demand was formally delivered in a pre-action letter dated June 11, 2026, from Kwankwaso's legal team, Magaji Mato Ibrahim SAN & Co.

The dispute stems from a viral video of a sermon delivered by Primate Ayodele, the founder of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Lagos, which was recorded and live-streamed to a global audience. In the video, the cleric is alleged to have made specific statements questioning Kwankwaso's loyalty to NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi. The legal letter quotes Ayodele as having said, "Kwankwaso is a fake to Obi," "Kwankwaso will betray you," and "Kwankwaso has been paid to be vice president to Obi."

Kwankwaso's lawyers argue these remarks are false, malicious, and deliberately designed to damage his reputation and sow division within the NDC and its supporters. They demand that Ayodele publish a full retraction and apology across all social media platforms and reputable...