DSS Seeks Sowore’s X Account Ban Over Comment on Tinubu

By Emiola Osifeso

The Nigerian government has formally petitioned X Corp., the parent company of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, demanding the immediate suspension and permanent ban of the verified account of Nigerian activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, over a controversial post directed at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In a strongly worded letter dated September 6, 2025, and addressed to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of X Corp. in Bastrop County, Texas, USA, with an official contact email, press@x.com, the government accused Sowore of engaging in what it described as “misleading information and willful intention to further an ideology capable of serious harm, incitement to violence, cyber crime, hate speech to discredit/disparage the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and cause serious threat to national security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” The correspondence, which bore the title “DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE AND URGENT BAN/DEACTIVATION OF AN X ACCOUNT OWNED BY OMOYELE SOWORE THROUGH HIS VERIFIED X HANDLE @YELESOWORE OR ANY OTHER X ACCOUNT MAINTAINED BY HIM,” detailed what authorities considered the severity of Sowore’s recent online publications.

The petition stated that, “We detected and monitored with dismay and consternation a widely condemned publication/trending Tweet by Omoyele Sowore on his X official handle page @YeleSowore on 25th August, 2025 about 11:38 PM local time (2338 hours) WAT disparaging and ridiculing the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” The offending tweet in question read: “This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!” According to the government, the words were not only directed at President Tinubu personally but were published in direct reply to his official communication channel @officialABAT, which is globally recognized as the President’s verified X account. “Those words were personally directed at Mr. President through his official communication channel @officialABAT which is the known X handle of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The said tweet is herewith attached and will be referenced herein for emphasis and necessary action,” the petition said.

Officials further claimed that Sowore’s comments had already inflamed tensions within the country and risked sparking public disorder. “The said tweet is still in circulation and has attracted widespread condemnation by majority of Nigerians, some of whom may resort to unwholesome activities to vent their grievance over it, especially supporters of the President who have started taking to the streets in protest, thereby creating political tension and threatening the country’s national security. This is in addition to the disparaging effect the tweet has on the reputation of Mr. President and the country before the comity of nations,” the letter declared.

The Nigerian authorities went on to describe the tweet as an egregious violation of both national and international standards of digital conduct, insisting that it violated “transparency on X” and represented “extremely dangerous, false, privacy violation behavior that manipulate and negatively impacts on the person of the President and the Country.” To buttress its argument, the government cited multiple sections of Nigerian law, including the Criminal Code Act and the recently amended Cyber Crimes Act of 2025. “It is pertinent to bring to your knowledge that under the Nigerian Law, these quoted tweets/words constitute offence punishable in Section 51 of the Criminal Code Act Cap.77 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, which prohibits publication of false information; Sections 19, 22 and 24 of the Cyber Crimes Act 2025 which prohibits and makes it an offence to spread fake news or publishing content that is deliberately misleading or deceptive, posting content that is rude, vulgar, offensive, or indecent, especially with the intent to embarrass or humiliate others, provoke ethnic, religious, or tribal hatred through online or offline statements; amounting to domestic terrorism.”

The letter further warned that both the author of the publication and the platform hosting it would be considered culpable under Nigerian law. “The Law also makes the offender and the medium through which the offence is perpetrated/propagated culpable and criminally liable too. The author and purveyor of the inflammatory online publication against Mr. President is very much aware that the publication is also prohibited by Section 2(3) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and other relevant Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” it read. The petition concluded with the assertion that “It is not in doubt that the words employed by Mr. Omoyele Sowore is misleading information, online harassment and abuse, willful intention of furthering an ideology capable of serious harm, hate speech, cause disunity, discredit/disparage the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria within the Comity of Nations to damage the image of Nigeria and cause serious threat to national security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The latest clash between the Nigerian government and Sowore is not an isolated development. A former presidential candidate and founder of the online investigative outlet Sahara Reporters, Sowore has long been a thorn in the side of successive Nigerian administrations. He is known for his fiery criticism of political elites, his persistent calls for accountability, and his use of social media to mobilize grassroots resistance. His previous arrests and detentions under different regimes have often sparked international outcry, with human rights groups accusing Nigerian authorities of stifling dissent. This latest move by the government to pressure a global platform to silence him is seen by observers as part of a broader strategy to curb digital activism in Nigeria.

Reacting swiftly to the petition, Sowore dismissed the government’s request to X Corp as both laughable and dangerous. Writing from his verified handle, he declared: “The Nigerian government is so desperate to protect lies that it now wants X Corp to shut down my account. They are citing ‘national security’ because I called out a blatant falsehood by @officialABAT. Let it be clear: no amount of intimidation or blackmail will stop me from speaking truth to power.” He further insisted that his original tweet reflected the lived realities of millions of Nigerians suffering under economic hardship and widespread corruption. “If it is a crime to expose corruption, then I will keep committing that crime daily. The people deserve leaders who are accountable, not demagogues who hide behind the law to muzzle free speech,” he added.

Sowore also took aim at the legal provisions cited by the government, accusing officials of weaponizing the law to repress dissent. “They cite Criminal Code, Cybercrime Act, and Terrorism Act as if telling the truth has suddenly become terrorism. This is the same authoritarian playbook we’ve seen for decades. Nigerians will not be silenced,” he said.

While X Corp has yet to publicly respond to the petition, the case has already generated debate across Nigeria and beyond. Civil society groups, legal experts, and international observers are closely watching whether the platform will bow to state pressure or defend what free speech advocates say is the right of citizens to hold their leaders accountable. For many Nigerians, the controversy highlights a growing tension between state power and digital freedom in an era where political battles are increasingly fought online.