The governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Bauchi State for the 2027 election, Barrister Ibrahim Kashim, has reacted to a bench warrant issued against him by a Chief Magistrate Court in Bauchi over an alleged defamation case.

DAILY POST reports that the bench warrant was issued on June 9, 2026, by Chief Magistrate Abdulmumini Adamu in Suit No. CMCBH/870/2026, following a complaint filed by Barrister Ahmed Sani and Barrister Hussaini Saraki.

According to court documents obtained by DAILY POST, the complainants accused Kashim of making defamatory remarks during a television interview.

They alleged that he claimed one of the lawyers had been accused of collecting money from a client without rendering the agreed legal service.

The complainants further alleged that Kashim suggested they may have been among those who supplied information about him to government officials.

They described the statements as false, malicious and damaging to their reputations, maintaining that they had never provided any information about Kashim to government officials.

According to the complainants, the remarks subjected them to public ridicule, tarnished their professional standing and cast doubt on their integrity and competence as legal practitioners.

The court granted the application for a bench warrant after counsel to the complainants, S.U. Sarki, Esq., urged the court to compel the defendant’s appearance.

Reacting to the development, Kashim said he remains committed to the rule of law and respects the judiciary.

He explained in a statement that the court summons was served on a Sunday after he had already made arrangements to travel to Abuja for previously scheduled engagements.

“We wish to clarify to the public that the court summons in question was served on Sunday, at a time when I had already completed my travel arrangements to Abuja for important engagements that had been scheduled earlier,” he said.

Kashim stated that upon becoming aware of the matter, he immediately directed his lawyer to appear before the court and seek an adjournment.

“It is therefore not right to interpret our absence as absconding or a refusal to accept the summons,” he added.

He reiterated his confidence in the judicial process and expressed readiness to defend himself in court.

“We have full respect for the courts and the legal system, and we are ready to defend ourselves according to the law. We have not insulted anyone, and we have not committed any crime that would prevent us from telling the truth in court.

“God willing, we will appear in court at the scheduled time for the continuation of the trial, and we are confident that the truth will come out,” Kashim said.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, says it does not matter if President Bola Tinubu has the entire 36 governors by his side.

Speaking during a recent interview in Washington DC, Obi said he had no governor in the 2023 presidential election, yet he won in 12 states.

He was speaking about the forthcoming 2027 general elections

“For the 2027 election, it doesn’t matter if all 36 governors are with President Tinubu. I didn’t have a single governor in the last election, yet I won 12 states, even after they stole two states from me.

“By making Abuja a state, we now have 37 states because that’s what the judgment of the Supreme Court showed.

“Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso won one state, and that was Kano. The APC, PDP and Labour Party won 12 states each. And it, I lost two by the process of rigging, I would have had 12 states,” he said.

DAILY POST recalls that Obi came third in the 2023 presidential election after polling 6,101,533 votes.

A public affairs analyst, Mahmud Jega, has commended former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, for forming the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, instead of joining the ruling party.

Featuring in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’ on Wednesday, Jega said the NDC has attracted so much crowd within a short period of time, noting that Dickson took a bold decision.

According to him, the NDC has become popular and one of the top three parties within the short time it was formed.

“It was quite courageous of him. Most people who leave opposition parties often join the APC, including governors, believing it offers a stronger structure and financial backing.

“However, he chose a different path. Instead of joining the APC, he went ahead to form an opposition party, which was a bold decision.

“He also managed to convince many people to join him in building and sustaining it. He also made a valid point by saying there’s no democracy without opposition,” Jega said.