The Department of State Services (DSS) has directed its private counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, to take steps to suspend the alleged cyberbullying case instituted against the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 presidential election.
The development followed a meeting between the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, the Senior Advocate and top officials of the agency’s legal directorate on August 20, according to a source close to the DSS counsel.
The meeting reportedly considered pausing the case to enable Sowore, who is expected to contest the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, to fully participate in the electoral process.
“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 source further disclosed that Ajayi told the lawyers that the case, having been before the court for nearly a year, could be suspended for another four months without making any significant difference.
“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.
According to the source, the DSS is expected to formally communicate its decision to suspend the case to the Federal High Court from September 14, 2026, when the court is scheduled to resume normal sittings after its annual judicial vacation.
If granted, the proposed suspension would keep the case in abeyance throughout the presidential campaign and the 2027 election period, allowing Sowore to participate in the electoral process without the pending proceedings continuing during the campaign.
The case stemmed from social media posts made by Sowore on August 25, 2025, on his X handle and Facebook page.
Following the posts, the DSS reportedly gave the AAC presidential candidate seven days to delete them. Sowore, however, declined to comply with the directive.
The DSS subsequently approached the Federal High Court seeking a judicial determination on whether Sowore’s social media posts, in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal,” amounted to cyberbullying.
The secret police said the suit was intended to obtain judicial interpretation on the propriety of describing President Tinubu, or any other individual, as a criminal without a prior court pronouncement.
The proposed suspension comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with opposition figures and parties positioning themselves for the contest.
