Sowore calls Adeyanju as first defence witness, tenders video of Tinubu’s remarks on free speech as exhibit

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has formally opened his defence in the defamation suit filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS), calling Abuja-based activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju as his first witness.

Led in evidence by defence counsel Olumide Fusika before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the witness told the court that President Bola Tinubu, during an official engagement in Benue State, had said citizens have the right to insult, criticise and call him names, and that law enforcement agencies should allow citizens to exercise that right as part of democracy.

Adeyanju further testified that the President said the judiciary should serve as a guardian of the public and should not be used as an instrument of oppression against critics.

Video clips of the President making these remarks were tendered in evidence as exhibits through a flash drive.

The trial is proceeding alongside a dispute over Sowore’s bail conditions.

The DSS had charged Sowore with defamation over allegations that he called Tinubu a criminal on his X and Facebook accounts.

At Monday’s resumption of proceedings, DSS lawyer Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, told the court that Sowore had yet to fulfil his bail conditions and applied for an order remanding him at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending compliance.

Kehinde argued that court orders must be obeyed and that Sowore’s failure to perfect his bail, including depositing his passport with the court, warranted remand until the conditions were fully met.

He noted that Justice Umar had earlier released Sowore into his lawyer’s custody specifically to retrieve the passport, but said no communication had been received regarding any difficulty in meeting the conditions, nor had any application for variation been filed.

Responding, defence counsel Fusika told the court that bail is not meant as punishment but to secure the defendant’s attendance at trial, and disputed the claim that the conditions remained unmet.

He said verification of documents had been substantially completed and assured the court that the passport would be deposited before the close of work on Monday.

He attributed the delay in retrieving the passport from the American Embassy in Lagos to the U.S. Embassy’s closure for the country’s 250th Independence Day anniversary celebrations on Friday.

Fusika asked the court to allow Sowore to remain in his custody until the next adjourned date.

The case has been adjourned until July 13 for continuation of trial.