The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly directed its private counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, to suspend the alleged cyberbullying case against African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 presidential election.
The development followed a meeting between the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, the senior lawyer and senior officials of the agency’s Directorate of Legal Services.
A DSS source told Vanguard that Ajayi directed the legal team to pause the case, arguing that the commencement of political campaigns made it appropriate to suspend the proceedings temporarily.
According to the source, the case has already been before the court for almost a year and could be put on hold for another four months without significantly affecting 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 said.
The agency is reportedly expected to formally notify the Federal High Court of the decision when the court resumes its regular sittings on September 14, 2026, following the annual judicial vacation.
The case stems from a request by the DSS for the court to determine whether Sowore allegedly committed cyberbullying by referring to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal” in posts published on his X account and Facebook page on August 25, 2025.
Sowore, who is expected to participate in the 2027 presidential election, has been a vocal critic of the Tinubu administration.
If the reported suspension is formally communicated to the court, the case would remain on hold until after the 2027 presidential election.
