The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has asked the National Assembly to reject the ambassadorial nomination of Mr. Reno Omokri, warning that confirming his nomination will amount to validating his past allegation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a “drug lord.”
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, in Abuja, the National President of the Council, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, described Omokri’s nomination as a “national embarrassment” that could expose Nigeria to ridicule in the international community.
Igboayaka said the nominee lacked the character, composure, and integrity expected of a diplomat, arguing that his history of controversial public statements disqualified him from representing Nigeria on the global stage.
He described Omokri as “a well-known blatherskite, a gasbag, or a whiffler” who had consistently “disgraced himself in Nigeria’s political landscape to satisfy his paymaster.”
The group insisted that such a person becoming an ambassador would amount to “international shame and disgrace” for the country.
Igboayaka cited Omokri’s statement of December 17, 2022, in which he launched harsh allegations against President Tinubu.
At the time, Omokri reportedly declared, “If anybody can get close enough to Bola Tinubu to take a sample of his hair or urine, this election will be over! Because with his hair or urine sample, a laboratory can analyse if he still takes drugs and what type of drugs he takes.
“Tinubu is a known drug lord who belongs to jail, not Aso Rock! I went to Chicago myself and obtained verified court documents.
“It will be a shame if this man anywhere gets close to Aso Rock. A nation with a Drug Lord president is a nation whose international passport automatically suspects.”
Igboayaka argued that confirming Omokri as ambassador would inadvertently elevate his past allegations to the status of official commentary from a Nigerian government representative.
“If Reno Omokri is allowed to represent Nigeria internationally, he will be considered a constituted authority, and his statements can be cited as verified facts from a constituted authority,” Igboayaka said.
“Therefore, the Senate confirming Reno Omokri’s ambassadorial nomination is confirming his statement that Bola Tinubu is a known drug lord.’
“It now means one can quote, according to the Ambassador of Nigeria, that ‘Bola Tinubu is a known drug lord.’ This becomes an implied endorsement by the Nigerian state through its representative.”
The OYC maintained that Omokri “lacks the character, quality, integrity, speech composition, and disposition” expected of an ambassador and urged lawmakers to reject the nomination to prevent what it described as diplomatic embarrassment for Nigeria and “undue international criticism” for President Tinubu.
Omokri was among the 32 names forwarded to the Senate for confirmation, but his inclusion has provoked a storm, especially over his past public criticism of President Tinubu, including a controversial remark in which he once labelled the President a “drug baron”.
SaharaReporters previously reported that Omokri once swore never to accept any appointment or work with Tinubu.
Omokri was one of Tinubu’s fiercest critics prior to the 2023 presidential election, questioning his record, qualifications, and integrity.
However, he later softened his criticism after confirming Tinubu attended Chicago University.
Reno made the remarks during an appearance on the Mic On podcast, hosted by journalist Seun Okinbaloye, where Omokri was asked directly if he would accept an offer from Tinubu.
“It will never happen,” he said.
Pressed further on whether any scenario could make him reconsider, he added:
“Oh my gosh, I don’t want to betray privilege. Somebody from Bola Tinubu’s camp has already reached out to me, and I told the person that, look, it cannot happen.
“I can’t do it. It’s just against my principles. Some people can do that. It’s not in my DNA. I can’t do it.
“It’s never going to happen. It’s never going to happen. I wish Bola Tinubu well if he eventually is sworn in and then the court upholds his victory. But I can never work with him.”
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