The Federal Government has filed a five-count charge against activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore for calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” in posts shared on social media.
The charges, brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Director of Public Prosecutions, allege offenses under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and sections of the Criminal Code Act.
Sowore’s posts on August 25, 2025, followed President Tinubu’s official visit to Brazil, where the President claimed his administration had ended corruption. Sowore’s post branding him a “criminal” prompted the Department of State Services (DSS) to write to social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook), demanding Sowore’s accounts be suspended and the posts removed.
When Sowore and the platforms did not comply, the government initiated legal action.
The charges include claims that Sowore knowingly posted false statements intended to incite lawlessness and tarnish President Tinubu’s reputation. The platforms Facebook and X are also named as co-defendants for hosting the alleged defamatory content.
No arraignment date has been fixed yet. Exhibits in the case include printouts of Sowore’s posts and DSS correspondence with the social media companies.
