Court rejects Sowore’s bid for long adjournment in Tinubu defamation trial

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has turned down the application by the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance of Nigeria AAN, Omoyele Sowore seeking a long adjournment of his defamation trial.

The charge was filed against Sowore by the Department of the State Service, DSS, for allegedly defaming President Bola Tinubu.

Sowore, through his lawyer, Reuben Adakole, on Monday applied that his defense in the charge be shifted till after the two months annual vacation of the court.

The activist who is put on trial for allegedly calling President Tinubu a criminal on his Facebook page and X handle, predicated his application for a long adjournment on the ground that his lawyer, Olumide Fusika, SAN, was out of the country to attend to family matters.

His request was however vehemently opposed by counsel to the DSS, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, who drew the attention of the court to 10 previous adjournments the trial suffered at the instance of Sowore.

The senior lawyer told Justice Umar that the latest request for long adjournment was a ploy to further frustrate the criminal trial.

Kehinde also drew the attention of the court to day-to-day accelerated trial granted by the court in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice System, ACJA, 2015, adding that granting two months adjournment would be against the earlier order of the court.

In a brief ruling, Justice Umar turned down the long adjournment application based on the previous order of the court.

The judge subsequently ordered Sowore to be in court on July 16, 2026 for continuation of his defense in the charge.

Earlier Sowore’s first witness and Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Deji Adeyanju, had in continuation of his evidence insisted that President Tinubu during an official engagement in Benue State had said citizens have the right to insult, abuse, criticise and call him names and that law enforcement agencies should allow citizens exercise their democratic rights.

‎Adeyanju also said that the President made it clear that the judiciary should be the guardian of the public and should not be used as instrument of oppression against critics.

Video clips of where the President was said to have made the remarks were played in the open court.

Under cross examination by the DSS lawyer, Adeyanju admitted being a lawyer to Sowore but that he opted out later.

He also admitted making comments in the social media on his general experience on the arrest and prosecution of the activist.

He however admitted that President Tinubu never spoke against the law taking its course when laws are broken by any individual.

‎The matter has been adjourned till July 16, 2026, for continuation of Sowore’s defense.