DSS to Seek Adjournment of Sowore’s Trial Till after 2027 Elections

The Department of State Services (DSS) has directed its counsel to seek an adjournment of the cybercrime case against Omoyele Sowore until after the 2027 presidential election.

A DSS source confirmed to TheCable that the decision is to guarantee Sowore’s seamless participation in the polls.

Sowore is the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).

The presidential and national assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while campaigns for the polls commenced on August 19, 2026, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable.

The source said Tosin Ajayi, DSS director-general, met with the agency’s counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, and the legal directorate officials on August 20 to deliberate on the issue.

“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 adjourn the court case in order to enable Sowore fully participate in the upcoming elections without let or hindrance,” the source said.

“He added that, since the matter had been in court for nearly a year, suspending it for another few months wouldn’t make much difference.”

The DSS source said the agency’s position is expected to be formally communicated to the federal high court on September 14.

TheCable understands that other cases involving candidates for elective positions in 2027 are also being reviewed.

WHY THE DSS CHARGED SOWORE TO COURT

The DSS instituted the case against Sowore over posts he made on his X handle and Facebook page on August 25, 2025, in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal”.

The service had asked Sowore to remove the posts within seven days.

After he failed to comply with the directive, the DSS approached the federal high court in Abuja on September 16, 2025, seeking judicial interpretation on whether it was lawful to describe the president or any individual as a criminal.

X Corp and Meta Platforms Inc., operators of X and Facebook respectively, were initially joined as defendants in the case.

Before filing the case, the DSS had written to X demanding the deactivation of Sowore’s verified account, arguing that the post could incite violence and threaten national security.

The service had also written to Meta, saying its mandate to protect the president extends beyond physical threats.

In January 2026, the DSS amended the charge, reducing the counts from five to two and removing X and Meta as defendants, leaving Sowore as the sole defendant.

Sowore subsequently pleaded not guilty to the allegations and secured bail.