The Department of State Services (DSS) has directed its counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, to seek a suspension of the cybercrime case against African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 general election.
The decision followed a meeting involving DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, Kehinde and senior officials in the agency’s legal directorate on August 20, 2026.
According to a source familiar with the development, the meeting focused on the possibility of putting the case on hold so that Sowore can participate fully in the 2027 presidential election without the court proceedings interfering with his campaign.
Sowore is expected to contest the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, under the platform of the AAC.
“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 pause the court case in order to enable Sowore fully participate in the upcoming elections without let or hindrance,” the source said.
The proposed suspension would come after almost one year of legal proceedings over social media posts made by Sowore concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The source said Ajayi also considered the length of time the matter had already spent before the court.
“The DSS boss told the lawyers that, since the matter had been in court for nearly a year, suspending it for another four months wouldn’t make much difference,” the source added.
The DSS is expected to approach the Federal High Court in Abuja with the request when the court resumes from its annual judicial vacation.
The court is scheduled to resume normal sittings from September 14, 2026.
If the application is granted, the proceedings would remain on hold during the major period of the 2027 presidential campaign and election.
The case originated from posts made by Sowore on his X and Facebook accounts in August 2025.
On August 25, 2025, Sowore reacted to comments made by Tinubu during the President’s official visit to Brazil.
In the post, the AAC politician described the President as a “criminal” while questioning his claim that corruption had been eliminated under his administration.
The DSS subsequently demanded that Sowore remove the post.
The agency also asked him to retract the statement and issue a public apology. Sowore, however, refused to comply with the demand.
The disagreement eventually moved to the Federal High Court, where the DSS sought judicial determination over whether Sowore’s comments amounted to cyberbullying and other offences under Nigerian law.
The initial case involved Sowore alongside X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, and Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook.
However, the DSS later amended the charge and removed X and Meta from the proceedings. Sowore became the sole defendant in the amended case.
In January 2026, the Federal High Court re-arraigned Sowore on a two-count amended charge. He pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
The trial subsequently commenced, with DSS witnesses giving evidence on the alleged impact of the posts.
During one of the proceedings in January, a DSS operative told the court that the post had generated reactions and was considered capable of creating tension and affecting public safety.
The defence, however, challenged the prosecution’s case and questioned the basis for the DSS action.
The trial also produced several notable developments.
In January 2026, the court admitted a video involving former presidential aide Reno Omokri, in which he had previously referred to Tinubu as a “drug lord”.
The material was tendered by Sowore’s legal team during cross-examination of a DSS witness.
The prosecution has maintained that Sowore’s posts were false and capable of causing public disorder. Sowore has denied the allegations and maintained his position on the matter.
In April 2026, the Federal High Court dismissed a fundamental rights suit filed by Sowore against the DSS, its Director-General and Meta over the removal of a Facebook post in which he referred to Tinubu as a “criminal”.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar dismissed the suit and awarded N1.5 million against Sowore.
