2027 Poll: DSS Moves to Suspend Sowore’s Cybercrime Case Until After Presidential Election

The Department of State Services (DSS) has directed its counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, to take steps toward suspending the cybercrime case instituted against African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 presidential election.

The development comes shortly after the commencement of the 2027 presidential campaign season, with the DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, reportedly directing the agency’s legal team to consider pausing the proceedings to allow Sowore participate fully in the election.

Sowore is facing the DSS case over social media posts in which he allegedly referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal.”

The secret police had approached the Federal High Court seeking a judicial determination on whether it is lawful for an individual to publicly label the President or any other person a criminal without a judicial pronouncement establishing such a status.

The DSS had similarly sought judicial interpretation in connection with the “Shadow Government” initiative associated with Professor Pat Utomi.

Following Sowore’s posts of August 25, 2025, on his X handle and Facebook page, the DSS reportedly gave him seven days to remove the publications. He allegedly declined to comply with the directive.

Rather than arresting or inviting him for questioning, the agency subsequently approached the Federal High Court on September 16, 2025, asking the court to determine the legal implications of the publications.

In a September 6, 2025 letter to Meta Corporation, the DSS had maintained that its statutory responsibility to protect the President extends beyond physical threats to what it described as psychological attacks.

However, with the 2027 presidential election campaign now underway, the agency is reportedly seeking to put the case on hold.

A source close to the DSS counsel disclosed that Ajayi met with the Senior Advocate and senior officers of the agency’s legal directorate on August 20, a day after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) formally lifted the restriction on presidential campaigns.

According to the source, the meeting considered the implications of continuing the case against Sowore while he is actively seeking votes as a presidential candidate.

“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.

The source added that Ajayi was of the view that the case had already remained before the court for almost a year and that postponing further proceedings for a few months would not materially 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’s decision, if formally presented to the court, could temporarily remove a significant legal distraction for Sowore as he prepares to campaign for the presidency.

The DSS is expected to formally communicate its position to the Federal High Court from September 14, 2026, when the judiciary is scheduled to resume normal sittings after its annual vacation.

Sowore, a prominent critic of the Tinubu administration, is among the politicians expected to challenge the incumbent president in the 2027 presidential contest.

The reported decision by the DSS to pause the case has therefore introduced a new dimension to the political contest, coming at a time when presidential candidates and political parties are beginning nationwide campaigns ahead of the January 16, 2027 election.

The move could also fuel fresh debate over the balance between national security responsibilities, freedom of expression and the constitutional rights of political candidates during an election season.