Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has secured court subpoenas compelling the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, and a Lagos-based All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, to appear as witnesses in his ongoing defamation trial involving President Bola Tinubu.
Sowore disclosed that both men are expected to testify on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he is facing prosecution by the Department of State Services (DSS) over his description of President Tinubu as a criminal.
The activist made this known on Monday while speaking with journalists shortly after the court proceedings. He said the court had accepted the subpoenas issued to the INEC chairman and Igbokwe, requiring them to appear and give evidence when the case resumes.
According to Sowore, the expected appearance of the two witnesses could make Wednesday’s proceedings particularly interesting. He, however, declined to reveal the specific reasons behind his decision to summon them.
He also warned the prosecution against attempting to challenge the subpoenas or prevent the witnesses from appearing before the court.
Sowore suggested that his defence would go beyond the criminal defamation allegations and address broader issues relating to President Tinubu’s public records, identity and the circumstances surrounding his emergence as Nigeria’s President.
The activist maintained that the testimonies of Amupitan and Igbokwe would be important to his defence, although he did not provide further details about the evidence he expects them to present.
The DSS instituted the case against Sowore following his refusal to withdraw his description of Tinubu as a criminal, a statement that has remained at the centre of the legal dispute.
However, Sowore has continued to stand by his remarks, insisting that the prosecution is connected to his longstanding criticism of the President and his administration.
The case is expected to continue on Wednesday, when the two subpoenaed witnesses are scheduled to appear before the court.
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