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SaharaReporters had actually previously reported that Rakiya presumably won the direct main hung on May 29/30, 2026, after ballot 225 votes versus Salisu’s 132 votes.
Former National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement and existing Political Adviser, Northern Nigeria, to the governmental prospect of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, Dr Yunusa Tanko, has actually required 5 billion in damages from fellow Obi fan Nmaa Ukpabi over supposed defamatory publications worrying the contested NDC House of Assembly ticket in Kaduna State.
Tanko, through his legal representatives, V-C Ottaokpukpu & & Associates, Umuchukwu Chambers, released a pre-action notification dated September 9, 2026, implicating Ukpabi of making defamatory and adverse declarations about him on social networks platforms and WhatsApp groups.
The disagreement is connected to the debate surrounding the NDC main election for Kawo Constituency in Kaduna State, where Tanko’s boy, Yunusa Mohammed Salisu, was stated the celebration’s prospect in spite of another candidate, Rakiya Baba Mohammed, being stated winner at the main.
SaharaReporters had actually previously reported that Rakiya presumably won the direct main hung on May 29/30, 2026, after ballot 225 votes versus Salisu’s 132 votes.
The electoral officer’s report seen by SaharaReporters had actually stated Rakiya the winner and specified that the main was effectively and quietly performed.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) later on released Salisu as the NDC prospect for the constituency, triggering Rakiya to challenge the advancement.
The debate has actually considering that activated allegations of adjustment and declared disturbance in the celebration’s internal procedure.
In the most recent advancement, Tanko’s attorneys implicated Ukpabi of consistently releasing declarations they referred to as defamatory and destructive, consisting of accusations that Tanko controlled the main election to protect the ticket for his kid.
The letter stated Ukpabi had actually implicated Tanko of being a”required burglar orchestrator “and declared that he was accountable for changing Rakiya’s name with that of his kid.
The legal representatives priced estimate Ukpabi as composing:” Dr. Tanko, the required burglar orchestrator.”
“You are a substantial dissatisfaction to the Obidient motion global. “
” You are corrupt and do not should have to be related to the Obidient motion.”
” What you have actually taught your kid in 2026 is to be a required burglar. “
“It is just a solidified required burglar specialist that would birth a generation of required burglars.”
Ukpabi likewise supposedly composed: “You took Rakiya’s required effectively for your kid Salisu last Friday July 31st 2026 and Rakiya’s name was gotten rid of from the list while Salisu your child’s name was submitted on the list.”
She even more explained Tanko’s kid as a “required burglar” and declared that Tanko had actually tried to affect political figures to press Rakiya.
The legal representatives stated the publications were shared on numerous WhatsApp groups, consisting of the All Inclusive Obidient Movement-General, Obidient Movement Lagos State, OK-Movement Kaduna State, All-Inclusive Obidient National Coordinators and All-Inclusive Obidient Leaders in NDC Coalition.
They stated the supposed publications depicted Tanko as “a burglar, corrupt, deceitful, wicked, outrageous, deceiving, unreliable and duplicitous.”
The attorneys likewise implicated Ukpabi of declaring that their customer “controlled the main election procedure and corruptly guaranteed that Rakiya was short altered of her success”and offered the ticket to his child.
According to the legal notification, the declarations were flowed through WhatsApp groups, Facebook, X and other social networks platforms.
The legal representatives stated the publications depicted their customer as a burglar, corrupt individual and somebody who fraudulently controlled the NDC main election in favour of his child.
They declined the claims, arguing that Tanko’s track record had actually been developed over years of civil service and political advocacy.
The attorneys stated their customer had actually been connected with “unity, Youth and grassroots Participation, more powerful democratic organizations inter alia”, while his dedication to the guideline of law and defense of human rights had actually never ever been questioned.
“Our customer have (sic) for that reason thoroughly thought about the words utilized by you and made in utmost bad faith consisted of in your letter and a number of publications throughout different social networks platforms and not able to fathom and analyze any scintilla and iota of fact in your unwarranted allegations that might necessitate such a defamatory and adverse attack on his character and hard-earned track record,” the attorneys stated.
They even more declared that the contested publication of June 30, 2026, was not a separated event.
“It is rather regrettable to keep in mind that apart from your defamatory message of 30th June 2026, you had on numerous celebrations made even more comparable harmful and adverse publications versus our customer which is continuing nearly on day-to-day basis now in your aforesaid social networks accounts and different WhatsApp groups with broad protection,” the legal representatives stated.
The legal notification implicated Ukpabi’s publications of triggering damage to Tanko’s credibility and required that the supposed defamatory products be right away eliminated.
The legal notification required that Ukpabi pull back the supposed defamatory declarations and release apologies on 2 personal tv stations and the Nigerian Television Authority, along with 2 personal radio stations and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.
The legal representatives likewise required 5 billion in damages.
The notification alerted that failure to comply within 24 hours would result in legal action for libel and declared infraction of Tanko’s civil liberties.
It likewise stated Tanko scheduled the right to technique security firms over what his legal representatives referred to as conduct “viewed as cyberstalking and adverse to our customer’s credibility.”
Amongst the needs was that Ukpabi get rid of “all the publications in its whole” from WhatsApp groups and social networks platforms, consisting of shared private and group accounts, in order to avoid more damage to Tanko’s credibility.
The attorneys likewise required a public apology and retraction of the supposed defamatory declarations.
They stated Ukpabi needs to release an apology and pull back the declarations in a minimum of 2 nationwide papers within 24 hours of getting the notification, with the option of papers to be authorized by Tanko or his legal representatives.
The attorneys even more required that Ukpabi release a complete retraction and unreserved apology in a minimum of 2 worldwide papers within the very same 24-hour duration.
The notification mentioned that the option of the global papers should likewise be authorized by Tanko or his lawyers before publication.
The need comes in the middle of the continuing debate over the NDC’s Kawo Constituency ticket and claims by some fans that the celebration’s internal procedure was controlled.
Tanko had actually formerly rejected accusations that he pirated the ticket for his kid.
Following the debate, NDC spokesperson Osa Director had actually informed SaharaReporters that the celebration’s appeals committee might reverse the result of a main where an appeal was discovered to have benefit, although he stated he might not validate the information of what occurred in the Kawo case.
Tanko’s child, Salisu, was amongst the candidates for the ticket, while Rakiya Baba Mohammed was stated the winner in the main election according to the electoral officer’s report.
Rakiya consequently challenged her elimination from the celebration’s prospect list.
The debate has actually continued even as Tanko moved into a brand-new political function following his consultation as Peter Obi’s Political Adviser for Northern Nigeria.
Tanko just recently accepted the visit, while Dr Moses Paul, widely called Dr Mo, prospered him as National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement.
The brand-new function needs Tanko to concentrate on political activities and engagement throughout Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 basic elections.
Tanko’s attorneys, nevertheless, stated the accusations made versus him were unwarranted and totaled up to an attack on his character and hard-earned track record.
The notification offers Ukpabi 24 hours to get rid of the publications, release the required retractions and apologies, stopping working which Tanko’s attorneys stated additional legal actions would be taken.
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