Sowore rejects DSS pressure, insists critical Tinubu tweet stays

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has dismissed pressure from the Department of State Services (DSS) to delete a social media post critical of President Bola Tinubu.

Sowore said on Sunday that X (formerly Twitter) notified him of a formal request from the DSS demanding the removal of his tweet, but he vowed not to comply.

“The lawless DSS sent a threat letter over my tweet on Tinubu. One option I will not be taking is deleting that tweet,” he declared.

X, in its message to Sowore, confirmed it had received a legal request from Nigeria’s secret police but had not taken any action on the content.

Digital rights and dissent

The development has revived concerns over freedom of expression and government surveillance in Nigeria.

Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and a vocal critic of successive governments, has repeatedly accused security agencies of clamping down on dissent. In 2019, he was arrested by the DSS over his “RevolutionNow” protests and held in detention for months despite court orders granting him bail.

X, which routinely informs users when governments make takedown demands, has previously come under pressure from Nigerian authorities, particularly during the 2021 Twitter ban under then-President Muhammadu Buhari.

Observers say Sowore’s defiance highlights the continuing tension between state power and citizens’ digital rights in Nigeria’s democracy.