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The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an application by Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), for a two-month adjournment of his trial on charges of defaming President Bola Tinubu.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar dismissed the request on Monday, ordering Sowore to appear in court on July 16 to continue his defence.
Sowore is standing trial on charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations that he called President Tinubu a criminal on Facebook and X.
His lawyer, Reuben Adakole, had asked the court to shift proceedings until after the court’s two-month annual vacation, citing the unavailability of Sowore’s lead counsel, Olumide Fusika, SAN, who is abroad attending to family matters.
DSS counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, opposed the application, telling the court it marked the tenth adjournment sought at Sowore’s instance and describing the latest request as a deliberate attempt to stall the trial.
He argued that granting a two-month adjournment would violate the court’s earlier order for an accelerated, day-to-day trial under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
In a brief ruling, Justice Umar upheld the earlier accelerated-trial order and declined the adjournment request.
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Earlier in the proceedings, Sowore’s first witness, Abuja-based lawyer Deji Adeyanju, continued his testimony, maintaining that President Tinubu, during an official visit to Benue State, had said citizens have the right to criticise, abuse and call him names, and that law enforcement should allow citizens to exercise that right as part of democracy.
Adeyanju said the president had also stated that the judiciary should protect the public rather than serve as a tool of oppression against critics.
Video clips of the president’s remarks were played in open court.
Under cross-examination by DSS counsel, Adeyanju admitted he had once represented Sowore as a lawyer before opting out of the case and acknowledged making social media comments about his general experience with arrest and prosecution in such trials.
He conceded, however, that President Tinubu had never spoken against the law taking its course when laws are broken.
The case was adjourned to July 16 for the continuation of Sowore’s defence.
