The African Action Congress has rejected the Department of State Services’ reported decision to suspend the prosecution of its 2027 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, insisting that the case must be completely withdrawn rather than merely put on hold until after the election.
The DSS had reportedly directed its counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, to seek an adjournment of the alleged cyberbullying case until after the January 2027 presidential election, a move said to be aimed at allowing Sowore to participate fully in the electioneering process.
However, the AAC said the suspension does not resolve what it described as an unjustified prosecution.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Rex Elanu, the party argued that there was no known provision in Nigerian criminal procedure permitting a prosecutor to simply suspend a criminal trial indefinitely.
“The proper course is to discontinue the prosecution,” the party stated.
The AAC accused the DSS and the Federal Government of using state resources to pursue Sowore over comments in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal,” describing the case as political persecution and an abuse of state power.
The party said the reported decision to suspend the case until after the election should not be presented as an act of goodwill, arguing that Sowore should not have been subjected to the prosecution in the first place.
The party consequently called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to immediately discontinue the case in its entirety and warned against keeping the matter hanging over Sowore as a potential political weapon.
Beyond the withdrawal of the case, the AAC demanded an apology and compensation for Sowore, as well as the return of his international passport and electronic devices allegedly held by the authorities. It also called for an end to what it described as harassment of Sowore’s media aide, Zainab Sodiq.
The party further demanded accountability within the DSS, including the removal of its Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, over his handling of the matter.
The controversy comes as political parties and presidential candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 elections. With Sowore expected to campaign across the country, the AAC maintained that the prosecution should not remain as a potential restriction on his political activities.
The DSS position, meanwhile, is that the temporary suspension would allow Sowore to fully participate in the electoral process without the ongoing court proceedings becoming a hindrance.
