Sowore Regains Freedom as Court Reinstates Bail with Stringent Conditions

In a dramatic turn of events, the Federal High Court in Abuja has reinstated the bail of Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress. This decision was made by Justice Muhammad Umar, who presided over the case. As part of the bail conditions, Sowore is required to provide two sureties, one of whom must be a traditional ruler from his community, while the other must be a property owner within the Federal Capital Territory. Furthermore, Sowore has been ordered to deposit his passport with the court registrar until the case is concluded. This development comes after Sowore's initial bail was revoked on June 16 due to his failure to appear in court for the continuation of his trial. The judge had issued a bench warrant for his arrest, which led to Sowore's voluntary return to court on June 22, 2026. During the proceedings, the court dismissed Sowore's application for Justice Umar's recusal from the case and ordered that he be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his fresh bail application. Sowore is standing trial on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime, filed by the Department of State Services, following a comment in which he described President Bola Tinubu as 'a criminal.' The court had initially granted Sowore bail on self-recognizance in December, with the condition that he should not make statements capable of inciting the public against President Tinubu. However, his failure to appear in court led to the revocation of his bail. With the reinstatement of his bail, Sowore is now required to fulfill the stringent conditions set by the court to regain his freedom.