Human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has vowed not to delete a tweet critical of President Bola Tinubu, despite a reported request from Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) to X (formerly Twitter) demanding its removal.

Sowore disclosed this in a post on his X account on Sunday morning, revealing that the social media platform had formally contacted him about the DSS’ demand.

Sowore, a journalist, publisher of Sahara Reporters, and long-time pro-democracy activist, is known for his uncompromising criticism of successive Nigerian governments. He contested the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections under the AAC and has consistently advocated for good governance.

PUNCH Online earlier reported that the DSS had written to X Corp., insisting that Sowore’s post disparaged Tinubu and posed a threat to national security.

Vowing not to bow to pressure, Sowore wrote: “This morning, X (formerly Twitter) officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my Tweet on Tinubu. One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X.”

He also shared the message sent to him by X, which confirmed receipt of the DSS’ legal request but clarified that no action had been taken against his post.

The platform’s message read in part:

“Hello @YeleSowore. In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a request from the Department of State Services regarding your X account… We have not taken any action on the reported content at this time as a result of this request.

As X strongly believes in defending and respecting the voice of our users, it is our policy to notify our users if we receive a legal request from an authorised entity… We understand that receiving this type of notice can be an unsettling experience.”

X further advised Sowore to evaluate the request, seek legal counsel, or challenge it in court if necessary.

This latest confrontation adds to Sowore’s long-running feud with the DSS. In 2019, he was arrested and detained for several months despite court orders granting him bail, following his call for a “RevolutionNow” protest.

Rights groups have repeatedly accused the DSS of clamping down on dissent and curtailing free speech. Sowore has consistently maintained that his criticism of the Tinubu administration falls under constitutionally guaranteed rights.

X itself has previously faced pressure from Nigerian authorities, most notably during the 2021 Twitter ban, after the platform deleted a tweet by then-President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sowore’s refusal to delete the tweet is likely to fuel renewed public debate on freedom of expression, government surveillance, and the limits of dissent in Nigeria’s democracy.