The DSS had approached the court to determine whether Sowore's August 25, 2025 posts on his X handle and Facebook page, in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal,”... The post DSS suspends Sowore’s cybercrime prosecution till after 2027 election appeared first on Tribune Online .
The Department of State Services (DSS) has directed its private counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, to seek an adjournment of the alleged cyber-bullying case instituted against the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 presidential election.
The development followed a decision by the DSS leadership to allow Sowore, who is contesting the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, to fully participate in the electoral process without the pending court case becoming a hindrance.
The DSS had approached the court to determine whether Sowore’s August 25, 2025, posts on his X handle and Facebook page, in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal,” amounted to cyber-bullying.
The secret police had also maintained that the case was intended to obtain judicial interpretation on the propriety or otherwise of referring to the President or any individual as a criminal without a court conviction.
The agency had similarly approached the court over the legality of Professor Pat Utomi’s proposed “Shadow Government.”
The DSS, in a September 6, 2025 letter to the chairman of Meta Corp, had stated that, in addition to protecting the President from physical threats, it was also empowered by law to protect him from psychological attacks.
Following Sowore’s posts, the DSS reportedly gave him seven days to pull them down. After he declined to remove the posts, the agency approached the court on September 16, 2025, for adjudication without inviting or arresting him.
However, a source close to the DSS counsel said the Director-General of the service, Mr Tosin Ajayi, met with the senior lawyer and top officials of the DSS legal directorate on August 20, a day after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially lifted the ban on campaigns.
The meeting, according to the source, considered the possibility of asking the court to adjourn the matter to enable Sowore to fully exercise his constitutional right to contest the presidential election.
“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 adjournthe court case in order to enable Sowore fully participate in the upcoming elections without let or hindrance,” the source said.
He added: “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 further disclosed that the DSS was expected to formally communicate its position to the Federal High Court from Monday, September 14, 2026, when the court is expected to resume normal sittings after the annual judicial vacation.
He added that other cases involving candidates for elective positions were also being reviewed by the agency.
Confirming the development, Kehinde, SAN, said the position was in line with what he described as the civilised approach of the current Director-General of the DSS, which he said was aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all candidates.
He said, “When contacted, A.T. Kehinde, SAN confirmed the above position and reiterated that it is in consonance with the civilized approach of the current DGSS who will always ensure a level playing ground and opportunity for everyone. We will seek the indulgence of the court for the adjournment.”
The proposed adjournment is expected to defer further proceedings in the case until after the 2027 presidential election.
