Sowore remanded at Kuje after court rejects recusal bid

Omoyele Sowore has been remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre till Wednesday after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja revoked his bail last week and dismissed his application for the judge's recusal. The activist and AAC presidential candidate had argued that Justice Umar should step down because of remarks where Sowore described President Bola Tinubu as a 'criminal,' citing a reasonable apprehension of bias.

In his ruling on Monday, Justice Umar held that the recusal application lacked merit, noting that Sowore had already participated actively in the trial up to the point where the prosecution closed its case and filed a no-case submission. The judge said a defendant cannot fully engage in proceedings and then turn around to seek the judge's disqualification based on the same circumstances, calling the move an attempt to delay the trial.

Sowore's new counsel, SAN Adeyinka Patrick Olumide-Fusika, apologised to the court for his client's absence on the last adjourned date, explaining he had instructed Sowore to travel to Lagos for consultations. The court has now directed the defence to open its case on a day-to-day basis. This is what happens when free speech meets raw state power in Nigeria.