A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, to commence his defence in an ongoing criminal defamation case involving President Bola Tinubu.
Delivering the ruling today, Justice Mohammed Umar rejected a request by Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, to postpone proceedings until after the court’s vacation.
Instead, the judge directed that the trial continue on a day-to-day basis, beginning Friday, June 5, when the defendant is expected to formally present his defence.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services over allegations that he defamed President Tinubu by referring to him as a “criminal” in posts published on his social media accounts.
During the proceedings, prosecution counsel Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN) informed the court that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court had declined Sowore’s earlier request for the matter to be reassigned to another judge and directed that the case continue before Justice Umar.
The defence argued that the Chief Judge’s response suggested a formal application could still be filed regarding the request.
However, after reviewing the letter, Justice Umar disagreed, stating that the document contained no such directive and that the current stage of the trial required the defendant to enter his defence.
The court further noted that while Sowore remains free to file any application before judgment is delivered, such a move would not halt the progression of the case.
Following additional objections by the prosecution to any further delays, Justice Umar reaffirmed his decision and ordered daily hearings in line with provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
The matter was subsequently adjourned to June 5, 2026, for Sowore to begin presenting his defence.
