Court Rejects Sowore's Uncertified Documents in Trial

On Wednesday, Justice Mohammed Garuba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja denied Omoyele Sowore's request to submit uncertified documents during his trial for allegedly defaming President Bola Tinubu. Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Alliance Congress, sought to present documents through his lead counsel, Olumide Fusika, SAN, which included a summary of proceedings from a witness codenamed XYZ.

The court's Registrar had instructed that those testifying for the defense should leave the courtroom, but Barrister Wayne Chikezie Elijah, called as a witness, remained present. The DSS lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, objected to the documents' admission, arguing they were public documents that required certification.

Justice Umar ruled that the documents were not certified and could not be verified for tampering, leading to their rejection. Earlier, Uwen Davis from the DSS testified about a letter he authored, dated September 7, 2025, requesting the deletion of a post where Sowore allegedly labeled Tinubu a criminal.