104
By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Department of State Services (DSS) has directed its counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), to seek an adjournment of the alleged cyber bullying suit against African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the conduct of the 2027 presidential election.
The move, according to a source familiar with the matter, is aimed at allowing Sowore to participate fully in the election without the pending court case becoming a hindrance to his campaign.
The DSS had instituted the case over social media posts made by Sowore on August 25, 2025, in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
The security agency is seeking the court’s interpretation on whether it is lawful for an individual to publicly describe the President or any other person as a criminal without a judicial pronouncement.
The agency had also linked the matter to its earlier legal action over Professor Pat Utomi’s Shadow Government, saying both cases were intended to obtain judicial clarification on the limits of certain public expressions.
The DSS had, in a September 6, 2025 letter to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, argued that its statutory responsibility to protect the President extends beyond physical threats to what it described as psychological attacks.
Following Sowore’s posts, the DSS gave him seven days to remove them. When he refused to comply after the expiration of the ultimatum, the agency approached the Federal High Court on September 16, 2025, seeking judicial determination of the matter.
However, with the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 elections, the DSS has now opted to temporarily halt the prosecution.
The source said DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, met with Kehinde and senior officials in the agency’s legal directorate on August 20 to discuss the possibility of seeking an adjournment.
According to the source, Ajayi told the lawyers that it would be fair to allow Sowore, who is seeking to contest the presidency, to participate fully in the election without let or hindrance.
“The DSS boss reportedly told the Senior Advocate and his directorate of legal services that, with the commencement of presidential campaigns, it would only be fair to adjourn the court case in order to enable Sowore fully participate in the upcoming elections without let or hindrance,” the source said.
The source added that the case had already been before the court for almost a year, making an additional few months unlikely to materially affect the proceedings.
“The DSS boss told the lawyers that, since the matter had been in court for nearly a year, suspending it for another few months wouldn’t make much difference,” the source said.
The agency is also reviewing other cases involving individuals contesting elective positions in the 2027 elections, the source disclosed.
The position is expected to be formally presented to the Federal High Court when regular proceedings resume after the annual judicial vacation, beginning from September 14, 2026.
Kehinde, SAN, when contacted, confirmed the development.
He said the decision reflected the DSS leadership’s commitment to ensuring a level playing field for political contestants.
“We will seek the indulgence of the court for the adjournment,” he said.
He added that the move was in keeping with what he described as the civilised approach of the current DSS Director-General, who, he said, was committed to ensuring that every candidate had a fair opportunity to participate in the electoral process.