SSS moves to halt Sowore’s trial ahead of 2027 election
SSS DG Oluwatosin Ajayi directed counsel to seek a temporary suspension of Omoyele Sowore’s cyberstalking trial so the activist and AAC presidential candidate can participate in 2027 electioneering. The case, which has lingered nearly a year over allegations he called President Bola Tinubu a "criminal" online, would resume after the 2027 presidential election if the suspension is granted.
Critics, including constitutional lawyer Festus Ogun, argue the request has no legal basis and amounts to an abuse of judicial process, noting the SSS could have discontinued or withdrawn the case instead. The SSS counters that its move aligns with international conventions on election participation, though those conventions do not grant candidates immunity from prosecution.
The agency plans to formally communicate the request to the Federal High Court from 14 September, when the court resumes after its annual vacation. If Sowore emerges as president-elect, the case could be stayed for four years or more under presidential immunity. Will the court approve the suspension, and what would that mean for electoral fairness and press freedom in Nigeria?