Abuja, FCT — A Federal High Court hearing in Abuja on the criminal case of the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, did not proceed on Wednesday after the presiding judge was reported indisposed.
INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan and former Lagos APC publicity secretary Joe Igbokwe, both subpoenaed as defence witnesses, were also absent.
The case concerns Sowore’s social media description of President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal,” for which the activist is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services.
Outside the court, protesters chanted “Tinubu Must Go” and “Hunger dey,” according to video shared by Barrister Aloy Ejimakor and reports from the scene.
The demonstration combined criticism of the government’s economic record with Sowore’s demand for access to Tinubu’s election documents.
Sowore described the day’s events as evidence that INEC was avoiding the subpoena, while the commission has challenged the order in court.
The court’s absence and INEC chairman’s nonappearance were reported separately; the judge’s reason was illness, and INEC disputes the subpoena’s validity.
Subpoena seeks Tinubu’s 1999 and 2023 forms
The subpoena directs Amupitan to produce Tinubu’s INEC Form CF001 for the 1999 Lagos governorship election, including an affidavit concerning lost certificates.
It also seeks the form submitted for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential candidacy.
The documents are being requested in Sowore’s criminal trial, case number FHC/CR/484/2025, as part of the defence’s evidence.
The court issued the subpoena on October 26, and reporting says it was served at INEC headquarters on November 6.
Amupitan filed a motion on November 10 asking the court to set aside the subpoena.
His application argues that he was not personally served and that the forms, as described, are unknown or not in his custody.
INEC’s position is a claim in a pending motion; the court has not yet ruled on whether the subpoena stands.
Sowore frames records as public-interest issue
Speaking after the stalled hearing, Sowore said he sought the records to compare Tinubu’s election filings from 1999 and 2023.
He argued the documents could help clarify questions about the President’s educational records, an issue that has featured in earlier political and legal disputes.
Sowore also said his prosecution followed his refusal to retract or apologise for calling Tinubu a criminal.
Those remarks reflect Sowore’s position; the current charge and subpoena proceedings do not themselves establish wrongdoing by Tinubu.
The defence has also sought to call other witnesses, including Igbokwe, while the judge previously rejected a subpoena for the DSS’s lead lawyer.
The trial is part of a broader legal dispute over Sowore’s online statements and the evidence he wants presented in his defence.
The case has been adjourned, with further proceedings expected after the judge’s absence.
Protesters raise election and economic concerns
Video shared by lawyer Aloy Ejimakor showed people gathered outside the Abuja court.
The protesters chanted slogans against Tinubu and expressing frustration over economic conditions.
Sowore connected the protest to demands for accountability and social and economic justice.
He criticized the President’s public appearances and made personal remarks about Tinubu’s health; those comments were political rhetoric, not verified medical information.
The chants “Tinubu Must Go” and “Hunger dey” echoed wider grievances about leadership and the cost of living.
Sowore urged supporters to return for the next court date, saying a larger demonstration was planned.
The protest took place as the subpoena dispute remained unresolved, and no electoral records were produced in court that day.
