The Department of State Services (DSS) has suspended the prosecution of African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, over alleged cyber-bullying until after the 2027 general elections.
The agency has reportedly directed its private counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, to take steps toward suspending the case filed against Sowore.
The decision comes nearly a year after the DSS approached the Federal High Court over Sowore’s social media posts in which he referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal.”
The posts, published on August 25, 2025, prompted the DSS to seek the court’s interpretation of whether Sowore could lawfully use his Facebook and X accounts to describe the President or any other individual as a criminal.
At the time, the DSS said the case was intended to obtain judicial clarification on the limits of such descriptions. The agency compared the matter with its earlier legal action seeking a court pronouncement on the legality of Professor Pat Utomi’s proposed “Shadow Government.”
In a letter dated September 6, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of Meta Corporation, the DSS said its responsibilities extended beyond protecting the President from physical threats to also protecting him from psychological attacks.
The agency had reportedly given Sowore seven days to remove the posts. After he declined to comply, the DSS filed the suit on September 16, 2025, seeking judicial determination of the matter.
A source familiar with the case said DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, met with Kehinde and senior officials of the agency’s Legal Directorate on August 20, a day after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially lifted the ban on presidential campaigns.
According to the source, the meeting focused on putting the case on hold to allow Sowore to participate fully in the 2027 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 pause the court case in order to enable Sowore fully participate in the upcoming elections without let or hindrance,” the source said.
The source said Ajayi also noted that the case had already been before the court for almost a year and that delaying proceedings for another four months would not significantly affect the matter.
The DSS is expected to formally notify the Federal High Court of its decision when the court resumes normal proceedings on September 14, 2026, following its annual judicial vacation.
The suspension would allow Sowore to focus on his presidential campaign ahead of the 2027 elections without the pending prosecution proceeding during the campaign period.
