A Federal High Court in Abuja has directed Omoyele Sowore to commence his defence in an ongoing criminal defamation case instituted against him over alleged statements concerning Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Justice Mohammed Umar ruled on Thursday that the matter should proceed without delay and ordered daily hearings beginning June 5, 2026. The court rejected an application by Sowore’s counsel, Marshall Abubakar, seeking an adjournment until after the court’s vacation.
The case was brought by Nigeria’s Department of State Services, which alleges that Sowore published defamatory statements on social media platforms, including X and Facebook, describing President Tinubu as “a criminal.”
During proceedings, prosecution counsel Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN) informed the court that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court had declined Sowore’s request for the case to be reassigned to another judge. Kehinde subsequently urged the court to direct the defendant to open his defence.
Abubakar argued that the Chief Judge’s response suggested that a formal application could still be filed and requested that proceedings be postponed until after the court vacation, citing Sowore’s planned political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
After reviewing the Chief Judge’s correspondence, Justice Umar held that the defence counsel’s interpretation was incorrect. The judge stated that the letter did not require Sowore to file an application for recusal before the case could continue.
The court emphasized that while the defendant remains free to file any application before judgment is delivered, the current stage of proceedings requires him to present his defence.
Justice Umar further ordered that the matter be heard on a day-to-day basis in accordance with provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), aimed at preventing unnecessary delays in criminal proceedings.
The prosecution opposed any further adjournment, arguing that the law requires the defendant to proceed with his defence once the prosecution has closed its case.
Consequently, the court adjourned the matter until June 5, 2026, for Sowore to begin presenting his defence.
