The Department of State Services (DSS) is considering putting its cyberbullying case against African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on hold until after the 2027 general election.
The move followed a meeting between the DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, the agency’s legal officials and its private counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, on August 20, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The source said Ajayi directed the legal team to take steps towards suspending the proceedings to ensure that Sowore could participate fully in the presidential campaign and election.
Presidential campaigns are expected to intensify ahead of the January 16, 2027 election, in which Sowore is expected to contest.
“The DSS boss reportedly told the Senior Advocate and his directorate of legal services that, with the commencement of presidential campaigns, it would only be fair to pause the court case in order to enable Sowore fully participate in the upcoming elections without let or hindrance,” the source said.
According to the source, Ajayi also noted that the case had already spent almost a year before the court and that delaying proceedings for a few more months would not significantly affect the matter.
“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 added.
The agency is expected to formally notify the Federal High Court of its position when proceedings resume after the annual judicial vacation on September 14, 2026.
If the request is granted, the case would remain pending throughout the election campaign and polling period before proceedings potentially resume.
The legal dispute followed social media posts made by Sowore on August 25, 2025, on his X account and Facebook page.
The DSS subsequently directed him to remove the posts within seven days, but he reportedly refused to comply.
The agency then approached the Federal High Court, asking it to determine whether Sowore’s description of President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” in the posts constituted cyberbullying.
The DSS said its action was aimed at obtaining judicial clarification on whether an individual could publicly describe another person as a criminal without a prior court conviction or pronouncement.
The latest development could temporarily bring the nearly year-long legal battle to a halt as Sowore prepares to participate in the 2027 presidential race.
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