The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly directed its legal team to seek an adjournment of the alleged cybercrime case against African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 presidential election.
According to a source familiar with the matter, the directive is intended to allow Sowore to participate fully in the electioneering process without the ongoing court proceedings affecting his political activities.
The DSS 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.”
Following the posts, the secret police issued Sowore a seven-day ultimatum to remove them. After the deadline elapsed without the posts being taken down, the DSS approached the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 16, 2025, seeking a judicial determination on whether it was lawful for an individual to publicly describe the President or any other person as a “criminal.”
X, formerly Twitter, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, were initially joined as defendants but were subsequently struck out of the suit by the Federal High Court, leaving Sowore as the sole defendant.
Sowore pleaded not guilty to the amended charges filed against him under the Cybercrimes Act 2024. He has repeatedly described the prosecution as politically motivated and challenged what he considers attempts to restrict his freedom of expression.
The source said DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, met with Senior Advocate Akinlolu Kehinde and senior officers of the agency’s legal directorate on August 20 to consider pausing the case.
The meeting reportedly followed the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the ban on campaign activities.
According to the source, Ajayi directed the legal team to seek a pause in the proceedings to enable Sowore to participate fully in the election without hindrance.
The source further claimed that the DSS chief noted that the case had already been before the court for nearly a year and that a further four-month suspension would not significantly affect the proceedings.
The agency is also reportedly reviewing similar cases involving candidates contesting other elective positions.
The DSS has previously maintained that the Sowore case was aimed at obtaining judicial clarification on the legality of describing the President or another individual as a “criminal,” rather than preventing Sowore from participating in political activities.
The proposed adjournment is expected to be formally communicated to the Federal High Court when it resumes regular sittings after its annual judicial vacation.
Sowore, who has previously been granted bail on self-recognition, is expected to continue his political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
