Activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has refused to comply with a directive from the Department of State Services (DSS) to delete a post critical of President Bola Tinubu on the social media platform X. Look

Sowore said on Sunday he would not bow to what he called an attempt by the secret police to silence dissent.

In a statement on his X account, formerly Twitter, the activist revealed that the platform had notified him of a “despicable threat letter” sent by the DSS. “One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X,” Sowore wrote.

The controversy centres on a post in which Sowore described President Tinubu as a “criminal” following comments he made in Brazil on corruption.

According to a message from X, which Sowore also shared, the DSS claimed the post contravened Nigerian laws, including the Cyber Crimes Act and the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act. The agency argued the content threatened national security and could spark protests.

X confirmed receiving the legal request but said it had “not taken any action on the reported content at this time.” The platform explained that under its transparency rules, it notifies users when governments or law enforcement seek to restrict their posts.

“We understand that receiving this type of notice can be an unsettling experience,” the company said. It advised Sowore to consider legal advice or other options but stressed its commitment to protecting users’ voices.

Reports earlier indicated the DSS had given X a 24-hour ultimatum to remove the tweet.

Sowore has repeatedly clashed with security agencies over his activism and was previously detained on charges linked to his calls for nationwide protests.