Igbo youths demand withdrawal of Reno Omokri’s ambassadorial nomination

The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has strongly opposed the nomination of former presidential aide Reno Omokri as an ambassador, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove his name from the list of nominees. The group described the nomination as a contradiction and a failure of integrity checks. In a statement issued on Monday, April 7, OYC’s National President, Comrade Igboayaka Igboayaka, criticised Omokri’s nomination, calling it “an institutional endorsement of hypocrisy and political opportunism.” “It is contradictory that somebody who previously distrusted the president is now deemed fit to become Nigeria’s ambassador,” Igboayaka stated. He referenced Omokri’s past remarks about Tinubu, particularly a December 2022 Facebook post where he described Tinubu as “a known drug lord, who belongs in jail, not Aso Rock.” Igboayaka further questioned how security agencies cleared Omokri for the appointment despite his previous claims against Tinubu. READ ALSO: Nigeria needs T-pain to make economic progress – Reno Omokri “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?” he queried. The OYC leader also referenced another post dated December 17, 2022, where Omokri claimed to have obtained verified documents from Chicago implicating Tinubu. Omokri suggested that a hair or urine sample could confirm whether Tinubu was still using drugs. The OYC called on security agencies to demand that Omokri produce the “verified drug documents from Chicago” and make them public. According to Igboayaka, Omokri’s past statements should disqualify him from any government role. “Reno Omokri’s criticism of the Nigerian government and certain politicians seems to be motivated by personal political gains rather than a commitment to strengthening democracy,” he added. The group further warned that nominating Omokri sends the wrong message about the integrity of the Tinubu administration. “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,” the statement concluded.