Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has vowed that he will never issue an apology or retract his social media commentary regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the Department of State Services (DSS) demand for a retraction as unlawful and an attack on free speech.
The declaration follows ongoing proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the DSS filed defamation and cyberbullying charges against the publisher after he publicly declined requests by security agencies to delete posts criticizing the administration.
Key Operational Highlights
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Defiance of SSS Directives: Sowore rejected formal administrative notices from the security agency demanding a public retraction and post deletion, arguing that state security agencies cannot act as private prosecutors for public officials.
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Constitutional Defense: Counsel to the activist maintained that public political commentary is protected under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
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Court Proceedings Stalled: Continuation of the trial at the Federal High Court hit procedural delays following exchanges between senior legal counsel regarding the issuance and certification of court records.
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Free Speech Stance: Sowore reiterated that no amount of legal pressure or intimidation would compel him to offer an apology for criticizing government policies.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SOWORE DEFAMATION TRIAL STATUS MATRIX │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Defendant : Omoyele Sowore (Publisher & Activist) │
│ │
│ • Prosecuting Body : Department of State Services (DSS) │
│ │
│ • Core Controversy : Social media commentary criticizing President │
│ Bola Ahmed Tinubu. │
│ │
│ • Defense Position : Refusal to apologize or retract posts; cites │
│ constitutional protection of free speech. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
“Freedom of Expression Cannot Be Muzzled”
Reaffirming his unyielding position against retracting his statements or tendering an apology, Sowore stated:
“The security agency has no constitutional authority to dictate how citizens critique public officials… I will never apologize or retract my comments, as express political discourse remains a fundamental right in any democracy.” — Omoyele Sowore
Legal observers and civil society organizations continue to monitor proceedings at the Federal High Court as the case progresses.
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
