DSS gives Sowore One-Week ultimatum over X post on Tinubu

The Department of State Services (DSS) has given human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore a one-week ultimatum to retract a social media post it described as “false, malicious, and inciting” against President Bola Tinubu.

In a letter dated September 7, the DSS accused Sowore of making criminal and derogatory remarks about the President in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on August 26. The agency warned that failure to comply with its demand would force it to “explore all lawful means” to safeguard national security and public order.

Sowore, a pro-democracy activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, had accused Tinubu of lying to Nigerians, describing him as a “criminal” after the President reportedly claimed corruption no longer existed under his administration.

The DSS, through its Director of Legal Services, Uwem Davies, said the remarks had provoked public anger and had the potential to “incite disturbance, disunity, and even insurrection.”

Sowore confirmed on Sunday that X contacted him over the DSS letter but insisted he would not delete the post. “One option I will not be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X,” he wrote.