Human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has refused to delete a tweet criticizing President Bola Tinubu, despite a formal takedown request sent to X (formerly Twitter) by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS).
Sowore revealed via a post on X that the platform had officially notified him of the DSS’s legal request, which claimed his tweet violated Nigerian law and posed a threat to national security.
“This morning, X officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my tweet on Tinubu. One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that tweet,” Sowore wrote.
X’s message to Sowore stated “In the interest of transparency, we are informing you that we’ve received a legal request from the DSS regarding your account, @YeleSowore. We have not taken any action at this time.”
The company reiterated its policy of notifying users when it receives government requests for content removal. It emphasized users’ right to challenge such requests legally, seek civil society support, or take other protective actions.
X noted that while it cannot offer legal advice, users are encouraged to evaluate such requests and, if necessary, challenge them in court. The platform also shared resources related to its legal policy and transparency reports.
“X strongly believes in defending and respecting the voice of our users,” the message stated.
Sowore has long been a critic of Nigerian authorities and an advocate for democratic rights. He has frequently accused security agencies, especially the DSS, of suppressing dissent.
In 2019, he was arrested and detained by the DSS over his #RevolutionNow protest movement, despite multiple court orders for his release.
The DSS has previously faced backlash from rights groups for allegedly targeting journalists, activists, and critics of the government.
This latest standoff underscores ongoing tensions between digital rights and state surveillance in Nigeria. Sowore’s refusal to delete the tweet could reignite national debates about freedom of expression, press freedom, and the government’s response to online dissent.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that the DSS had submitted a letter to X Corp requesting that Sowore’s tweet be removed, claiming it was harmful and defamatory to President Tinubu.
X’s stance, in this case, reflects its broader commitment to user rights—a commitment tested previously during Nigeria’s controversial Twitter ban in 2021, when the platform deleted a post by then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
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