Sowore challenges DSS DG to honour subpoena, appear in court

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress AAC, Omoyele Sowore, has urged the Director-General of the Department of State Services DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, to honour the subpoena requiring him to appear personally in court to testify in his ongoing cyberbullying trial..

Sowore spoke in Abuja on Friday after the court proceedings. He said his legal team would take every necessary legal step to compel Ajayi to appear.

He identified the DSS Director-General as a key witness for the defence.

The case centres on Sowore’s description of President Bola Tinubu as a criminal.

Sowore maintained that the defence has the right to determine how it will present its case.

He also said the defence should decide which witnesses it considers relevant.

According to Sowore, Ajayi’s testimony remains important to the case. He said the DSS chief controls information that relates to issues before the court.

Sowore also alleged that the prosecution initially reached an agreement with the defence over Ajayi’s appearance.

He said the prosecution later withdrew from the agreement.

“We have now been told that the understanding reached with the Attorney-General no longer stands,” he said.

He added: “They previously claimed that bringing a genuine witness to court was not their responsibility. Now that we want a witness to appear, they are saying that person cannot come.”

The AAC presidential candidate further alleged that the Attorney-General of the Federation intervened to stop Ajayi from appearing personally before the court.

“They brought the Attorney-General into the matter to frustrate our attempt to bring the DG before the court. They knew his appearance would allow us to question him directly,” Sowore alleged.

Sowore also questioned the prosecution’s objection to Ajayi’s appearance.

He stressed that the defence, not the prosecution, chose the DSS chief as a witness.

“Ajayi is our witness, not theirs. The prosecution has no business deciding how we present our defence. That creates a serious problem,” he said.

He added: “We may have to take legal action against Ajayi. If necessary, the court could compel him to appear and testify because he is the witness we have chosen.”

Sowore also expressed concern over the court’s refusal to allow the defence to formally respond to the application concerning Ajayi’s appearance.

He said the defence should have the opportunity to file its processes.

He also argued that his legal team should be allowed to cite additional authorities and present evidence against the prosecution’s position.

“The judge says he will rule next Tuesday on whether the DG should appear. My concern is that the court has not allowed us to formally file our opposition to the application,” Sowore said.