A Federal High Court in Abuja has directed Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), to begin his defence in an ongoing criminal defamation case involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Justice Mohammed Umar issued the ruling on Thursday after rejecting a request from Sowore’s legal team to adjourn the matter until after the court’s upcoming vacation. The judge instead ordered that the trial proceed on a daily basis, starting Friday, with the defendant required to open his defence immediately.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations that he made defamatory statements on social media platforms, including describing President Tinubu as a “criminal” on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
During the proceedings, both the prosecution and defence debated the interpretation of a response from the Chief Judge regarding a request for reassignment of the case. The court ultimately sided with the prosecution, ruling that no such directive required further applications before the trial could continue.
Justice Umar stressed that the case had reached the stage where the defendant must present his defence, adding that the court would not entertain delays. He further ordered that hearings continue daily under the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
The prosecution insisted that the defence proceed without delay or risk being foreclosed, while the defence requested additional time after the court vacation, a request that was denied.
The case has been adjourned to June 5 for Sowore to formally open his defence.
