The Department of State Services (DSS) has requested the Federal High Court to adjourn its case against presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore until after the January 16, 2027 Presidential Election, a move critics are calling a late and politically motivated reversal.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Barr. Edward Omaga, President of the Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), described the DSS decision as a “remarkable summersault” and said the prosecution was “ill-planned and unnecessary from the outset.”
The case stems from Sowore’s public description of President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” According to Omaga, nothing about the alleged statement or its circumstances has changed. What has changed, he argued, is the DSS recognition that pursuing the case now could interfere with Sowore’s participation in the 2027 election.
“What has actually changed is that the DSS now realises that the prosecution could interfere with Sowore’s participation in the forthcoming election,”* Omaga said. *“That realisation came too late.”Criticism of DSS overreach
Omaga accused the DSS of straying from its core mandate of protecting national security and instead policing political speech.
“Calling the President a name may be offensive, irresponsible or politically provocative, but it should not automatically become a matter for the nation’s foremost domestic intelligence agency to handle,”* he stated. *“The DSS should have been concerned primarily with matters that threaten national security, not with policing political insults or legitimate complaints about bad governance.”
He added that in a democracy, public officials must expect criticism, including harsh and provocative criticism. *“Any person who cannot withstand criticism has no business hanging around public offices.”
Unintended consequences and cost to taxpayers
Omaga said the prosecution has backfired by “demystifying” security agencies and showing that citizens can insist on their constitutional rights.
“Sowore has demonstrated that the enormous powers of the State are not unlimited,” he said, noting that the case should reassure Nigerians they cannot be arrested simply for criticizing President Tinubu or any level of government.
The GICN president also questioned the financial cost. *“How much public money has been spent pursuing this case? The agency is funded by Nigerian taxpayers,”* Omaga asked. *“If the DSS now believes that the case can conveniently wait until after the Presidential Election, then Nigerians are entitled to question why such resources were wasted on the prosecution in the first place.”*
Call for apology
Omaga concluded by calling on the DSS to apologize to Sowore, his family, lawyers, and supporters for the “anxiety, pressure and trauma associated with the prosecution.”
“An apology will not weaken the DSS. It will demonstrate maturity and respect for the Nigerian people,”* he said. *“Never again should the DSS make a mockery of itself in this manner. The Sowore case has exposed the danger of confusing political dissent with criminality.”
“Whenever Nigerians complain about bad governance or express their anger with the State, the appropriate response is not always arrest or prosecution. Sometimes, the appropriate response is for the persons in authority to simply listen.”
