AAC presidential candidate opts to represent himself as court considers request for judge to step aside from trial.
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned until June 15, 2026, for ruling on an application by Omoyele Sowore seeking the judge’s recusal from his ongoing trial.
At Friday’s proceedings, Sowore informed the court that he would represent himself for now, stating that members of his legal team were reluctant to continue appearing before the court due to what he described as their previous experience during the trial.
He subsequently argued two applications requesting that Justice Umar step aside from the case on grounds of alleged bias and that the matter be reassigned by the Chief Judge to another judge.
Counsel to the prosecution, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), opposed the applications, describing them as an abuse of court process and urging the court to dismiss them.
In a brief ruling, Justice Umar said he would review the processes filed by the defendant before delivering a decision and adjourned the matter to June 15.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services over allegations that he made defamatory statements against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in posts published on his social media accounts.