By Samuel Ike, Abuja

The Department of State Services has directed its private counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, to take steps to suspend the alleged cyberbullying case against African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 presidential election.

The decision followed a meeting on August 20 between the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, Kehinde, and senior officials of the agency’s legal directorate, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The meeting reportedly focused on putting the case on hold to enable Sowore, who is expected to contest the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, to participate fully in the electoral process.

“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 to fully participate in the upcoming elections without let or hindrance,” the source said.

The source added that Ajayi argued that the case, which had been before the court for nearly a year, could be suspended for another four months without causing any significant delay.

“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 DSS is expected to formally notify the Federal High Court of its decision when the court resumes normal sittings on September 14, 2026, following the annual judicial vacation, according to the source.

If granted, the suspension would keep the case in abeyance throughout the presidential campaign and the 2027 election period.

Sowore had, on August 25, 2025, published posts on his X account and Facebook page in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”

Following the posts, the DSS reportedly gave Sowore seven days to delete them. He declined to comply with the directive.

The secret police subsequently approached the Federal High Court, seeking a judicial determination on whether Sowore’s social media posts amounted to cyberbullying.

The DSS said the suit was intended to obtain a judicial interpretation of whether describing President Tinubu or any other individual as a “criminal” without a prior court pronouncement was permissible.