A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed an application by the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, seeking to compel a lawyer with the Department of State Services, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), to appear as a defence witness in his ongoing trial over alleged cyberbullying.
Delivering his ruling yesterday, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar nullified the subpoena previously issued to Kehinde, holding that legal practitioners are bound by professional confidentiality obligations and cannot ordinarily be forced to reveal communications arising from their legal representation of clients.
The judge explained that a lawyer could only be compelled to give evidence in exceptional circumstances, particularly where the subject of the testimony relates to an undisputed issue or does not risk compromising the interests of the client.
Following the court’s decision, Sowore’s counsel, Ruben Adakole, informed the court that his client had filed an application requesting subpoenas for an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to testify in the case.
Justice Umar approved the application and ordered the issuance of subpoenas directing both individuals to appear before the court as witnesses.
The judge subsequently adjourned proceedings until tomorrow to allow the subpoenaed witnesses to appear and give their evidence.
The DSS instituted the case against Sowore over social media publications he made in August 2025 on X, formerly Twitter, and Facebook, in which he referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal” and alleged that the President was dishonest about the extent of corruption in the country.
