Prime Business Africa
By Dr. Jude Dike, Ph.D.
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu named Reno Omokri, a former Presidential aide-turned-critic who once labelled him a “known drug lord” with purported “verified documents from Chicago” to be Nigeria’s ambassador, the decision did more than shock political observers. It demands that we ask what such a nomination signals about the man at the helm of our nation.
In December 2022, Omokri posted on social media, asserting that Tinubu was a “known drug lord who belongs in jail, not Aso Rock,” and that he had “verified documents” from Chicago, the city where Tinubu studied in the United States, to back the claim. That same Tinubu is now preparing to grant Omokri a diplomatic post that carries with it the weight of representing Nigeria abroad.
This reversal understandably leaves many Nigerians, including ordinary citizens, civil society groups, and even some loyalists unsettled. The youth wing of the ethno-cultural organization – Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) argues not just that the appointment is incongruous, but that it implicitly validates the very drug-related allegations that sparked outrage. In their view, if Nigeria’s intelligence and screening apparatus cleared Omokri, does that mean what he said was true? Does the administration now deem those allegations credible enough to overlook or even reward?
Join our WhatsApp ChannelWhether or not the allegations are true, the optics are damning. Appointing someone who publicly accused you of being a drug lord and claimed to have documentary evidence is tantamount to letting that accusation stand unrefuted. To many, it looks like a tacit admission, or at least a refusal to repudiate.
Diplomatic postings should reflect the dignity and reputation of the country. As some members of the Nigerian diplomatic community, which boasts of seasoned technocrats, have pointed out, Omokri’s “provocative rhetoric, divisive commentary and frequent public altercations make him unfit for diplomacy.”
What message does it send when someone with a documented history of aggressive and controversial attacks against the President is given a seat at the table in global diplomacy?
For many, the move looks less like reconciliation than realpolitik and a transactional gesture. If that is the calculus, it reflects a worrying commodification of loyalty and silence not values, integrity, or national interest.
It undermines trust in the very institutions meant to vet and safeguard national integrity. If a former critic can be elevated so easily, especially one who accused the President of criminality, it deepens cynicism about transparency, accountability, and fairness in public appointments.
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Diplomats represent not just policy, but the character of the nation. To outsiders, naming a man who publicly branded the country’s leader a “drug lord” may raise eyebrows about the seriousness with which Nigeria treats allegations of narcotics crimes, about its internal coherence, and about the credibility of its leadership.
Much of the unease derives from the long-standing controversy around Tinubu’s time in the United States. He studied at Chicago State University (CSU) and graduated in 1979, a fact the university has confirmed. Yet the history remains contested. Critics have long accused him of misrepresenting other aspects of his educational past including claims of attending institutions that no longer exist or have no records to corroborate them.
Meanwhile, among the more explosive allegations is that a U.S. court once sought forfeiture of funds tied to a narcotics trafficking case involving him though legally he has never been convicted, and the accusations remain unproven. This patchwork of confirmed facts, public allegations, unanswered questions and denials has created a persistent cloud over his legitimacy. The appointment of someone who publicly tried to lift that cloud only intensifies the controversy.
If this nomination proceeds, it will mark a turning point. Either this is a bold admission or it’s a brazen gamble, and an attempt to normalize impunity and dilute public outcry with political theatre. Nigerians, civil society groups and lawmakers should demand clarity.
If there is evidence, that what Reno Omokri said about the President is true, let it be produced. If not, withdraw the nomination.
If the appointment stands, let it be with an explanation that either Reno Omokri was right about the President or that he lied and has now been forgiven. At a time when institutions are fragile and trust is fragile, symbolism is not enough. Integrity in leadership and governance must be visible and unassailable.
In nominating Reno Omokri as an Ambassador, President Tinubu has raised a question more consequential to his legacy than he can ever imagine. Do we still believe that public office in Nigeria must stand for honour or for politics?
If not now, when?
