Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress and publisher of Sahara Reporters, has declared that President Bola Tinubu is "mortally afraid" of his rising popularity among ordinary Nigerians, alleging that the Department of State Services prosecution against him is politically motivated and designed to silence him ahead of the 2027 elections. Sowore made the remarks on Thursday, July 16, 2026, shortly after proceedings in his ongoing defamation trial before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he is facing charges of criminal defamation, cyberstalking and incitement over social media posts in which he allegedly referred to President Tinubu as a "criminal".
Addressing journalists outside the courtroom, Sowore criticised the conduct of the prosecution and the court's handling of his case, alleging that political considerations were influencing the proceedings. He pointed to what he described as a shift in the prosecution's strategy, noting that when he was previously remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, the court allowed lengthy adjournments, but the prosecution later pushed for accelerated hearings after realising that detention was not weakening his resolve. "What's interesting is that when I was sent to Kuje Prison, they were generous with adjournment dates. Yes, they weren't asking for day-to-day trial at that time. I was getting one week," he said. "That's how I spent nine days in prison. But the moment they saw that we are beating the Kuje game, they came and wanted to do day-to-day".
Sowore further stated that he no longer has confidence in the court handling his case, disclosing that an application had already been filed to that effect. "We have also made it clear that we no longer have confidence in this court. We have made applications," he said. He argued that if the situation were normal, the judge would have recused himself, adding: "But we know the big deal. The big deal is that there is an election that's coming. Tinubu is mortally, mortally afraid".
The AAC presidential candidate claimed that President Tinubu was worried about his increasing popularity among grassroots Nigerians despite his campaign not engaging in vote-buying or distributing gifts during political engagements. "That's the operating word of the popularity that has happened within the grassroots. And we are not paying a dime. We are not distributing bread, no soap, no rice, not even bitter kola," he said. "No Tomtom, no kuli-kuli, no akara. People are saying, 'Sowore has come, Sowore has come.' That's what it's all about". Sowore reiterated that his political movement is focused on providing leadership capable of transforming Nigeria's institutions, particularly the judiciary. He argued that the country's deepening security crisis, including insurgency, banditry and militancy, was a direct consequence of decades of institutional and historical injustice.
The trial has been marked by multiple adjournments and procedural disputes. At Thursday's proceedings, Sowore appeared in court without legal representation after his lead counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, travelled to the United Kingdom, and his junior lawyer, Reuben Adakole, was also unavailable. Justice Umar asked: "Where is your legal team?". Sowore responded that his lead counsel was away and requested an adjournment. The prosecution, led by Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, opposed the request, arguing that it was the 11th time the defence had sought an adjournment and urging the court to foreclose Sowore's defence. Justice Umar granted the adjournment in the interest of fair hearing but issued a final warning, fixing July 22 for Sowore to unfailingly resume his defence or risk having it foreclosed. The judge also directed Sowore to file a formal application if he wishes to temporarily release his international passport for travel to the United States to attend to family emergencies.
The DSS is prosecuting Sowore over allegations that he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a "criminal" in a post on his X and Facebook accounts in August 2025. Sowore has denied the allegations and consistently maintained that the case against him is politically motivated. The trial continues on July 22.
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