Court Rejects Sowore’s Evidence Alleging Tinubu Called President Jonathan ‘Drunkard’

The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected documents tendered by activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, which alleged that President Bola Tinubu, in 2011, described the then President Goodluck Jonathan as a “drunkard”.

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, declined to admit the exhibits after the prosecution witness through whom they were presented disowned the documents.

The rejected exhibit also allegedly claimed that Tinubu referred to Jonathan as “a sinking fisherman”.

Justice Umar ruled that the document failed to meet the requirements of admissibility under the Evidence Act, noting that the witness was neither the maker of the document nor aware of its contents.

During cross-examination, the first prosecution witness (PW-1), Mr Cyril Nosike, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), told the court that he was not aware that President Tinubu ever made such remarks about the former president.

Relying on the witness’ testimony, counsel to the DSS, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the document, arguing that it could not be admitted since the witness was not the maker.

Earlier, the witness declined to answer questions on whether Tinubu was a major opposition figure in 2011, stating that he would not comment on the issue.

He also answered in the negative when asked if he was aware that Tinubu had described Jonathan as “corrupt and shameless”.

Following a similar objection by the prosecution, the court also rejected another document tendered by the defence, which alleged that Tinubu once described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as “an expired meat”.

During further cross-examination, Sowore’s counsel, Mr Abubakar Marshal, asked the witness whether he had evidence that corruption had ended in Nigeria. The witness responded in the negative.

When asked if corruption existed in the country, the witness said he was “not in the position to answer”.

“My Lord, he is asking for my opinion. I am not here to give an opinion,” the PW-1 said.

On questions relating to corruption within government agencies, the witness said he was not aware that the DSS dismissed 115 officers in December 2025 for corruption, though he recalled that some officers were dismissed following an internal investigation.

He also said he was unaware that, in 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged five former governors for corruption, arrested officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over an alleged ₦7.2 billion fraud, or dismissed 27 officers for fraud and misconduct.

Confirming that he monitored cyberspace round the clock, the witness stated that his duties were limited to national security matters within the DSS mandate.

When defence counsel produced media reports on the dismissal of DSS officers and asked him to confirm that the cases bordered on fraud and corruption, the witness declined, saying he was not part of the disciplinary process.

The witness also denied knowledge of Nigeria’s global corruption ranking and said he was unaware of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, including claims that Nigeria ranked 140 out of 180 countries.

Under further questioning, the witness said he knew Chief Femi Fani-Kayode as an ambassador-designate but was unaware that he was a vocal critic of President Tinubu. He also said he was not aware of social media claims linking Tinubu to the murder of Chief Funsho Williams, or allegations by another ambassador-designate, Mr Reno Omokri, accusing the President of complicity in the killing.

Justice Umar adjourned the case until March 5 to enable the defence to conclude its cross-examination.

Sowore is standing trial over a social media post in which he called President Tinubu as a “criminal”.

He faces a two-count amended charge under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

According to the prosecution, the post, published on August 25, 2025, followed a statement credited to President Tinubu during an official visit to Brazil, in which he said his administration had ended corruption in Nigeria.

The government alleged that the publication was intended to tarnish the President’s reputation and cause a breakdown of law and order.

Sowore, who was first arraigned on December 2, 2025, and re-arraigned on January 19, pleaded not guilty to the charges.