Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal High Court in Abuja witnessed a dramatic twist on Friday when activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, announced that his legal team had abandoned him, forcing him to represent himself in his ongoing cyberbullying trial. Sowore, who is facing criminal defamation charges for describing President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” in social media posts, told Justice Mohammed Garba Umar that his lawyers could no longer continue due to the “constant humiliation” they had suffered before the court.
The trial, which has been scheduled for a day‑to‑day hearing, was called up for the defence to open its case. However, Sowore’s lead counsel, Marshall Abubakar, was conspicuously absent. When Justice Umar inquired about the whereabouts of his lawyers, Sowore rose from the dock and explained that his legal team had withdrawn from further appearances. “Our lawyers indicated to me they are afraid before you and will not appear any longer because of the humiliation they suffered before this court,” Sowore told the judge. He maintained that the Constitution guarantees his right to choose his legal representation and stated that, pending the time he is able to reconstitute a new legal team, he would be defending himself .
The courtroom drama did not end there. Sowore informed the court that he had filed two applications, one of which sought the recusal of Justice Umar from the trial on grounds of bias. The motion, filed on June 4 and served on the prosecution on the morning of the hearing, requested that the case file be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge. Sowore invoked Sections 36(1), (5) and (6) of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that his right to a fair hearing had been compromised. Without objecting to the hearing of the application, the prosecution counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, urged the court to dismiss it as “an abuse of court process meant to annoy and irritate this court” .
Kehinde pointed out that the Chief Judge had already declined a previous administrative request for reassignment in a letter dated May 22, 2026, which directed that the trial must proceed daily. He warned that the defence risked being foreclosed if Sowore refused to open his case . Justice Umar, however, stated that he needed time to carefully review the application. He noted that the copy on the court file bore the signature of Sowore’s erstwhile counsel, Marshall Abubakar, and cautioned the prosecution against relying on technical objections. “I will not condone any technical move from you,” the judge told Kehinde. He adjourned the matter until June 15, 2026, for a ruling on the recusal application, adding that he would immediately step aside if the application was found to have merit .
The case stems from an August 25, 2025 post on Sowore’s X (formerly Twitter) handle in which he reacted to President Tinubu’s comments on corruption during a state visit to Brazil, calling the president a “criminal”. The Department of State Services (DSS) subsequently filed a two‑count charge against him under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Amendment) Act, 2024. On May 8, 2026, Justice Umar dismissed Sowore’s no‑case submission, holding that a prima facie case had been established against him, and ordered him to enter his defence. Just one day before the Friday hearing, the court had rejected an application by Sowore’s lawyer for an adjournment until after the court’s vacation and ordered that the trial be conducted day‑to‑day in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act .
Tensions between Sowore’s legal team and the bench date back months. In March 2026, Justice Umar threatened to commit Marshall Abubakar for contempt and ordered the lawyer to “come out and kneel down” in open court. The Nigerian Bar Association later condemned the incident, stating that directing a lawyer to kneel is not a recognised judicial sanction under Nigerian law and falls short of the standards expected of judicial officers. Sowore had previously cited that incident as evidence of bias, but the judge ordered him to file a formal recusal application, which is the subject of the June 15 hearing .
As the courtroom emptied on Friday, Sowore walked out alone — no lawyers, no defence opened, and the case hanging in the balance. The judge will now decide whether to step aside or proceed with the trial. For now, the AAC presidential candidate remains on trial, representing himself, while the nation watches whether the courts will grant him a new judge — or force him to face the law alone.
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