BY CHIJIOKE CHARLES
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that the judge presiding over his ongoing case linked to remarks describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a criminal has revoked his bail, a move he described as a deliberate attempt to exert control over the proceedings.
Afrilensnews reports that Sowore made the claim in a post on social media, insisting that he was present in court on the previous adjourned date, but the judge was not available to hear the matter.
“It has been brought to my notice that the judge presiding over my case concerning Tinubu is a criminal has revoked my bail, despite my presence in court yesterday, when the judge was not in attendance; consequently, we requested a new date,” Sowore wrote.
The activist further stated that the matter scheduled for hearing was his application seeking the recusal of the presiding judge from the case. According to him, rather than addressing the application, the court moved to revoke his bail.
“The agenda for today was to consider my application seeking the judge’s recusal, but instead, he opted to revoke my bail in a bid to assert forceful control over the trial. I will confront these developments with determination and resilience,” he said.
Sowore alleged that the latest development was premeditated and vowed to continue challenging what he described as attempts to intimidate him through the judicial process.
“This was all planned but it shall not prevail. The struggle continues!” he added.
The case, which stems from allegations relating to comments made by Sowore about President Tinubu, has attracted significant public attention due to its implications for free speech, judicial independence and political accountability. The reported bail revocation could trigger fresh legal battles, including appeals and applications challenging the court’s decision, while potentially increasing scrutiny of the conduct of the proceedings.
At the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the court responding to Sowore’s allegations.
