The Department of State Services has reportedly directed its legal team to seek a temporary suspension of the cybercrime-related case against the African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 general election.
According to The PUNCH, the directive was said to have been issued by the DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, following a meeting with the agency’s private counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, and senior officials in its legal directorate on August 20.
A source familiar with the discussions said the decision was intended to allow Sowore, who is expected to participate in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, to engage fully in the electoral process without the court proceedings becoming a distraction or hindrance.
“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.
According to the source, Ajayi also noted that the case had already remained before the court for almost a year and that a further delay of about four months would not significantly affect the proceedings.
“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.
The agency is expected to formally approach the Federal High Court with the request from September 14, when regular court sittings are scheduled to resume after the annual judicial vacation.
If approved, the proposed suspension would keep the matter on hold throughout the major period of the 2027 presidential campaign and election.
The case arose from posts made by Sowore on his X account and Facebook page on August 25, 2025. Following the posts, the DSS reportedly gave him seven days to remove the content, but he declined.
The agency subsequently instituted proceedings at the Federal High Court, seeking the court’s determination on whether Sowore’s social media references to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” constituted cyberbullying.
The DSS argued that the case was intended, among other things, to obtain judicial clarification on whether an individual could publicly describe another person as a criminal without a court having previously established that person’s guilt.
Sowore, who is preparing for another presidential bid, is expected to campaign for the AAC as political activities ahead of the 2027 election gather momentum.
