Judge’s Absence Stalls Sowore’s Trial As INEC Chairman Challenges Subpoena

The trial of human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, over his description of President Bola Tinubu as a prison, was stalled on Wednesday on the Federal High Court in Abuja following the absence of the presiding decide, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar.

The case, which was scheduled for listening to on November 11, 2026, couldn’t proceed after the court docket registrar knowledgeable Sowore’s legal professionals that the decide was indisposed and the court docket wouldn’t sit.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), and former Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, who have been subpoenaed to look as witnesses within the case, have been additionally absent.

No quick rationalization was given for his or her failure to look.

Amupitan’s absence got here a day after he approached the identical court docket looking for to put aside the subpoena compelling him to supply President Tinubu’s electoral paperwork referring to the 1999 Lagos State governorship election and the 2023 presidential election.

In a Motion on Notice dated November 10, 2026, the INEC chairman challenged the subpoena issued on October 26, 2026, arguing that the electoral kinds requested by Sowore have been unknown to him within the type described and weren’t in his custody.

“There is no form known as INEC CF01 for the Lagos State Governorship Election 1999 and INEC Form CF01 for the 2023 Presidential Election; such forms, as describe,d are unknown and are not in the custody of the Applicant,” the applying acknowledged.

Amupitan additional described the subpoena as “mala fide, bad faith, irrelevant, fishy and speculative,” alleging that Sowore’s request was supposed to embarrass the electoral fee.

He additionally argued that he was not personally served with the subpoena, though it was delivered to INEC headquarters in Abuja.

According to an affidavit supporting the applying, the subpoena was served on the fee’s Litigation and Prosecution Department on November 6, 2026, at about 12:30pm, however was not personally served on the INEC chairman.

The paperwork Sowore is looking for embrace Tinubu’s INEC Form CF001 and an affidavit regarding misplaced certificates submitted by the President throughout his 1999 Lagos governorship election bid.

He can also be looking for the Form CF001 submitted by Tinubu to INEC for the 2023 presidential election.

The subpoena, titled Subpoena Duces Tecum, was issued in Charge No. FHC/CR/484/2025, during which the Federal Republic of Nigeria is prosecuting Sowore over his description of Tinubu as a prison.

The court docket had directed Amupitan to look, produce the required electoral paperwork and testify on behalf of the activist.

At the earlier sitting, Sowore knowledgeable the court docket that his authorized crew had lined up a number of witnesses to testify in his defence, together with Amupitan and Igbokwe, who have been compelled by subpoenas to look.

However, Wednesday’s failure of the court docket to take a seat prevented the proceedings from happening, leaving each the pending utility by the INEC chairman and the anticipated testimony of the subpoenaed witnesses unresolved.

The case has now been adjourned till November 17, 2026, for continuation of the trial.