My lawyers have deserted me in defamation trial, Sowore tells court, fails to open defence

Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the AAC and online publisher, told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday that his lawyers have deserted him in the defamation case brought by the DSS. He made an oral application for the judge, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, to recuse himself due to bias. DSS counsel Akinlolu Kehinde SAN did not oppose the recusal but objected to a long adjournment. The judge set June 15 for ruling on the recusal application and possible opening of defence. Sowore is being prosecuted for calling President Bola Tinubu a 'criminal' on his X and Facebook accounts.