In the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Mohammed Garuba Umar has disallowed Omoyele Sowore, the African Alliance Congress presidential candidate, from submitting uncertified evidence in his ongoing defamation trial regarding claims made against President Bola Tinubu. The dispute arose when Sowore’s senior counsel, Olumide Fusika, attempted to introduce these documents through another attorney, Wayne Chikezie Elijah.
The documents, which included witness testimonies and letters, faced immediate legal hurdles. The opposing counsel for the Department of State Services (DSS), Akinlolu Kehinde, argued that these were public records requiring formal certification under the Evidence Act. Justice Umar agreed, noting that because the documents had been in the personal custody of a lawyer, there was no guarantee they had not been altered. Consequently, the court officially rejected the evidence.
Prior to this ruling, DSS official Uwen Davis testified that he had contacted X Corporation to request the removal of Sowore’s post, which labeled President Tinubu a criminal. Davis stated that the letter was prompted by concerns over potential public disorder, though he could not identify specific individuals angered by the post. The trial has been moved to July 28 for further defense proceedings.
