2027 presidential candidate sent to prison
2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his detention.
The order was given by Justice Mohammed Umar following the revocation of Sowore’s bail and the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest.
Sowore appeared in court on Monday carrying a travel bag and was accompanied by supporters who gathered at the court premises with placards.
Speaking to journalists before the ruling, he said he had expected the court to direct that he be taken into custody.
The development followed an earlier decision by the court on June 16 to cancel the bail previously granted to him after he failed to appear for proceedings in his ongoing trial.
In the ruling delivered last week, Justice Umar granted an oral application filed by counsel to the Department of State Services, Akinkolu Kehinde (SAN), seeking further action against the defendant. The court subsequently issued a warrant for Sowore’s arrest.
The DSS is prosecuting Sowore over allegations that he made false claims against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on social media. According to the charges, the activist described the President as a criminal in posts published on his X account and Facebook page.
With the latest court order, Sowore will remain in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre while the legal proceedings continue.
The case has attracted public attention because of Sowore’s role as a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress and his long-standing involvement in activism and media advocacy.
