Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has said he will pursue legal measures to compel the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, to appear before the court and testify in his ongoing cyberbullying trial.
SaharaReporters reported that Sowore made the remarks in Abuja on Friday after proceedings in the case, where the proposed appearance of the DSS chief has become a point of contention between the defence and prosecution.
Sowore argued that his legal team has the right to determine the witnesses it requires for its defence, maintaining that Ajayi possesses information he considers relevant to issues arising from the case. He faulted attempts to prevent the DSS director-general from appearing personally.
The AAC candidate further alleged that an earlier understanding concerning Ajayi’s appearance was later withdrawn, claiming that the intervention of the Attorney-General of the Federation was connected to efforts to prevent the DSS chief from testifying in person.
He also criticised the prosecution for opposing the appearance of a witness called by the defence, arguing that Ajayi was not being presented as a prosecution witness. Sowore warned that legal measures could ultimately be used to compel the DSS chief to appear before the court.
The dispute is part of the wider trial arising from statements made by Sowore about President Bola Tinubu. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the court’s handling of the defence’s attempt to formally respond to the application concerning Ajayi’s appearance, saying his lawyers should have been allowed to file their arguments and supporting authorities.
The court is expected to rule on whether the DSS director-general should appear as a defence witness at a subsequent sitting, according to SaharaReporters.
