Human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has declared that he will not delete a tweet criticizing President Bola Tinubu, despite an alleged request from Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to take it down.
Sowore disclosed a post on his X account on Sunday morning, stating that he had been formally notified by the platform about the DSS request.
A prominent journalist, activist, and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Sowore is widely known for his consistent criticism of Nigerian leadership and long-standing advocacy for transparency, accountability, and democratic governance. He previously contested the presidential elections in both 2019 and 2023 under the AAC banner.
According to Sowore, the DSS submitted a formal request to X Corp., alleging that his post was defamatory towards President Tinubu and posed a potential threat to national security.
Responding defiantly, he wrote:
“This morning, X (formerly Twitter) officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my Tweet on Tinubu. One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X.”
He also shared a message from X, which stated:
“Hello @YeleSowore. In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a request from the Department of State Services regarding your X account, @YeleSowore, that claims the following content violates the law(s) of Nigeria. @YeleSowore, we have not taken any action on the reported content at this time as a result of this request.”
Sowore’s firm stance adds to the ongoing debates around free speech, digital rights, and government efforts to regulate online content in Nigeria.
