Lawyers representing Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), have called on social media platform X to reject a request from the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking the removal of one of his posts on President Bola Tinubu and the suspension of his verified account.
In a statement to X, Tope Temokun Chambers described the DSS directive as “unlawful, unconstitutional, and without legal foundation,” stressing that only a court of competent jurisdiction has the authority to restrict freedom of expression.
Sowore disclosed on Sunday that X officially notified him of the DSS request, which cited alleged threats to national security.
“The DSS is not a court of law and cannot arrogate such powers to itself,” the firm wrote, citing Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and relevant judicial precedents.
The lawyers accused the government of a “historical pattern of repression” against Sowore, recalling his arrests, detentions, and ongoing prosecutions since 2019. They also noted that during the recent #EndBadGovernance protest, the activist was placed on a “no-entry” list by the Nigerian Immigration Service, despite his passport being held by the court.
They argued that the DSS move forms part of a wider attempt to silence a vocal government critic and emphasized Sowore’s status as a U.S. permanent resident, underscoring the international dimension of the case.
“To comply with the DSS request would make X complicit in the violation of both Nigerian and international human rights standards,” the chambers stated.
The lawyers demanded that X disregard the directive, warning that any compliance would amount to “aiding and abetting state repression.” They added that they would pursue remedies at both national and international levels if Sowore’s rights are infringed.
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