Sahara Reporters publisher and activist, Mr. Omoyele Sowore has rebuffed the one-week ultimatum issued to him by the Department of State Services (DSS) within which he should retract a comment reportedly made against President Bola Tinubu.

The DSS had issued a one-week ultimatum to Sowore to retract what it described as a “false, malicious, and inciting” social media post about President Tinubu.

In a letter dated September 7, 2025, the secret police accused Sowore of making “criminal and derogatory” remarks against the President in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on August 26, 2025.

The DSS warned that failure to comply with its demands would force the secret police to “explore all lawful means” to protect national security and public order.

Reacting to the ultimatum in a post on Monday evening, Sowore maintained that he would not retract the statement even if the ultimatum extended till the end of President Tinubu’s tenure in 2027.

Citing a headline from a newspaper on the ultimatum, Sowore wrote on his Facebook page, “Secret Police DSS Gives Sowore One-Week Ultimatum To Retract Posts Criticising President Tinubu.”

In response, he maintained, “Even if you give me till the end of Tinubu’s tenure in 2027, I will NOT retract my statement.”

Sowore, a former presidential candidate under the African Action Congress (AAC) and pro-democracy activist, had in the post described Tinubu as a “criminal,” accusing him of lying to Nigerians after the President reportedly claimed in Brazil, that corruption no longer existed under his administration. (LEADERSHIP)