Sowore, DSS clash over social media post on Tinubu, X reacts

Omoyele Sowore, activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has refused to obey the Department of State Services (DSS) order to delete a social media post where he called President Bola Tinubu a “criminal.”

Sowore said on Sunday that he would not be forced to remove the tweet, describing the DSS move as an attempt to silence him.

On his X (formerly Twitter) page, Sowore revealed that the platform informed him about a “threat letter” from the DSS. He responded: “One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X.”

The DSS claimed Sowore’s post broke Nigerian laws, including the Cyber Crimes Act and the Terrorism Prevention Act. The agency argued that the post could endanger national security and spark protests.

X confirmed it received the request from the DSS but said it had not taken down the post. The company explained that, under its transparency rules, it informs users whenever governments or security agencies try to restrict their posts.

“We understand this kind of notice can be disturbing,” X said, advising Sowore to seek legal help.

Reports earlier suggested the DSS gave X a 24-hour deadline to remove the tweet.

Sowore has a long history of clashes with security agencies. He was previously detained over his calls for nationwide protests.