The Federal High Court in Abuja has revoked the bail granted to Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and online publisher. Sowore is currently facing prosecution for alleged criminal defamation.

In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Mohammed Umar cited Sowore’s unexcused absence from the proceedings as the ground for the revocation and subsequently issued a bench warrant to compel his appearance in court.

Grounds for the Prosecution's Application

Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) following social media posts on his X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts where he allegedly made false claims against President Bola Tinubu.

During Tuesday's session, prosecuting counsel Akinlolu Kehinde noted that the matter had originally been scheduled for a ruling on Monday but was rescheduled to Tuesday by the court registrar. Kehinde pointed out that the defendant was absent and lacked legal representation, prompting the prosecution to apply for both a bench warrant and the revocation of Sowore's bail.

Court’s Findings and Ruling

Although Justice Umar highlighted a letter submitted by the defendant requesting an adjournment, the prosecution argued the document lacked any justifiable reasoning. Kehinde maintained that the letter, dated June 15, held no legal weight due to the absence of a cogent explanation for the requested delay.

In his ruling, Justice Umar observed that Sowore had attended court on Monday before proceedings were deferred to Tuesday due to the court not being properly constituted. The judge emphasized that the defendant's subsequent letter requested an adjournment to various dates in July or September without offering any explanation for his absence.

Furthermore, the court noted that Sowore was fully aware of a standing order mandating that the trial proceed on a day-to-day basis. Justice Umar stated that the defendant had consistently delayed the trial through various tactics since the defense stage commenced on March 16, with all previous adjournments occurring at the instance of the defense.

Concluding that the defendant acted in clear disobedience of court orders under Section 169 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), Justice Umar revoked the bail and ordered the issuance of an arrest warrant.

The matter has been adjourned until June 22 for a ruling on a separate application filed by Sowore, which requests that the presiding judge recuse himself from the case.