Tinubu Asked To Withdraw Reno Omokri’s Alleged Ambassadorial Nomination

The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove Reno Omokri from the list of ambassadorial nominees due to his alleged untrustworthiness.

In a statement issued on Monday by its National President, Igboayaka Igboayaka, the OYC expressed strong objections to Omokri’s nomination, questioning how someone who previously distrusted the president could now be considered suitable to represent Nigeria as an ambassador.

Igboayaka cited several Facebook posts by Omokri in December 2022, particularly one where Omokri described President Tinubu as “a known drug lord, who belongs in jail, not Aso Rock.”

The OYC president expressed disbelief that Omokri had been cleared for the ambassadorial position, suggesting that it was clear the security agencies had failed to conduct proper background checks into his past.

“Clearing Reno Omokri by security agents for the ambassadorial post is an indication that his allegations against Bola Ahmed Tinubu are factual, because according to Reno, ‘Tinubu is a known drug lord,’” Igboayaka said.

He argued that appointing Omokri as a diplomat would essentially endorse and institutionalise the negative statements he made about the president, adding that it would be a grave contradiction to appoint someone who had previously made such claims.

To further support its stance, the OYC referenced Omokri’s December 17, 2022, post, where he claimed to have visited Chicago and obtained “verified documents” related to Tinubu’s alleged drug history.

In the same post, Omokri suggested that if anyone could obtain a sample of Tinubu’s hair or urine, a laboratory could confirm whether the president still used drugs, further fueling the controversy.

Igboayaka then posed the question: “If Nigeria’s security agencies cleared Reno to represent Nigeria, does it imply that Reno’s allegations of a drug-related issue involving Tinubu have been substantiated?”

The OYC president called on the Nigerian security agencies to uphold their integrity by demanding that Omokri provide the “verified drug documents from Chicago” that he claimed to have obtained in 2022, and to disclose any information regarding drug deals to the Nigerian public.

According to Igboayaka, Omokri’s failure to pass an integrity test is evident, as he has made unsubstantiated and damaging allegations against the president, only to later seek to serve in his administration.

The OYC leader criticized Omokri’s political motivations, claiming his criticisms are driven by personal gain rather than a commitment to strengthening Nigerian democracy.

Igboayaka urged the presidency to consider the implications of appointing such a controversial figure to an ambassadorial position, warning that Omokri’s nomination would reinforce the perception among Nigerians that the Tinubu administration lacks integrity and credibility.

“The presidency should know that clearing Reno Omokri implies and confirms the perception of Nigerians that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration lacks integrity and credibility,” Igboayaka said.