Omoyele Sowore has demanded a formal apology and the complete withdrawal of the alleged cybercrime case filed against him by the Department of State Services, arguing that the DSS cannot simply pause a prosecution that has already subjected him to months of court proceedings.
The African Action Congress presidential candidate made the demand after the DSS reportedly directed its legal team to seek an adjournment of the case until after the 2027 presidential election. The matter is before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Sowore is facing charges linked to social media posts about President Bola Tinubu.
Sowore said postponing the trial was not an acceptable remedy after the legal and personal consequences he said he had faced since the case began.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, the activist and publisher said he was not asking for a lengthy adjournment. Instead, he maintained that the DSS should discontinue the prosecution and acknowledge what he described as the injustice of putting him on trial.
According to Sowore, the authorities had previously opposed attempts to delay the proceedings, even during a period when the trial could affect his political activities ahead of the 2027 election.
He argued that a decision to halt the case now should raise questions about why the prosecution was initiated and pursued in the first place.
The latest development followed reports that the DSS instructed its counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, to seek a suspension of proceedings until after the 2027 presidential election.
Sources familiar with the decision said the proposed adjournment was intended to prevent the court case from interfering with Sowore’s participation in electioneering activities as the AAC presidential candidate. The case had already been in court for months before the reported decision to seek a longer break.
The move, however, did not satisfy Sowore.
He insisted that the prosecution should not be placed on hold after he had already faced repeated court appearances and restrictions connected to the trial. Sowore said the proper legal step was for the charge to be withdrawn rather than indefinitely deferred.
Key Issues Raised by Sowore
Sowore’s position centres on several concerns:
- He wants the DSS to formally withdraw the alleged cybercrime charge.
- He is demanding an apology over what he describes as a wrongful prosecution.
- He says those responsible for allegedly improper decisions should be held accountable.
- He opposes a long adjournment as a substitute for ending the case.
- He argues that the impact of the prosecution cannot be erased simply by suspending it during the election period.
The DSS instituted the case following social media posts attributed to Sowore in August 2025 in which he referred to President Tinubu as a “criminal”.
After demanding the removal of the posts, the agency approached the Federal High Court to pursue the matter. The case initially involved other parties, including X and Meta, but the two technology companies were later struck out, leaving Sowore as the defendant in the criminal proceedings.
The trial has passed through several significant stages. In May, the court dismissed Sowore’s no-case submission and ruled that he had a case to answer. He later entered the defence stage of the proceedings.
In June, the Federal High Court also granted him bail under conditions that included the deposit of his international passport pending the determination of the case.
Sowore said the case had already caused serious disruption and argued that a future adjournment would not address the consequences of the proceedings so far.
He referred to earlier developments in the trial, including his detention and the handling of his passport, while questioning whether a prosecuting authority should pursue a case and later seek to put it on hold for an extended period.
The activist also linked the controversy to broader concerns about freedom of expression, the independence of the judiciary and the use of criminal proceedings against political figures and government critics.
The DSS has previously maintained that the case sought judicial clarification on the legality of publicly describing President Tinubu or another person as a criminal, rather than an effort to restrict Sowore’s political activities.
The immediate question is whether the DSS will formally ask the Federal High Court to adjourn the matter and, if so, whether the court will grant the request.
Sowore has made clear that he will continue to press for a different outcome: the withdrawal of the charge and an apology from the security agency.
The case now carries added political significance as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 presidential election. A prolonged court battle could remain a major legal and political issue for Sowore, while any move to suspend or discontinue the prosecution is likely to intensify debate over the timing and purpose of the case.
For now, Sowore’s message to the DSS is that pausing the trial is not enough. He wants the prosecution formally ended and says the agency should account for the consequences of the case before seeking to move on.
