Following the nomination of social media commentator, Reno Omokri as an ambassador, there is a rising tension in the Nigerian Senate over a previous remarks made by the former presidential aide against Bola Tinubu
Omokri from Delta State was among the 32 names forwarded to the Senate for confirmation, but the aftermath of his inclusion has been riddled with internal altercations and controversies, especially over his past public criticism of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including a controversial remark in which he once labelled Tinubu a “drug baron”.
Among the controversies trailing is coming from the Nigeria Senate with SaharaReporters reporting that Multiple parliamentary sources said that Senate President Godswill Akpabio was instrumental in pushing Omokri’s name forward, allegedly as a reward for political work Omokri had done for him.
Meanwhile, in an unexpected twist, Akpabio is said to be mobilising his loyalists to oppose the same nominee he helped elevate.
“The senate president had nominated Omokri as a reward for the hatchet job he did for him,” one source disclosed.
“However, Akpabio is rallying some of his clique to screen Omokri out on the claim that he once attacked Tinubu and called him a drug baron.”
Another source revealed that Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West has taken a lead role in mobilising resistance against Omokri.
Ngwu has allegedly been reaching out to colleagues, urging them to reject the nominee on grounds of impropriety, arguing that anyone who made such serious allegations against a sitting President cannot credibly represent Nigeria on the global stage.
SaharaReporters also reports that the disagreements reportedly spiraled into a larger internal crisis when a Senate WhatsApp group, used for routine communication among lawmakers, was abruptly locked after arguments over Omokri’s nomination intensified.
Senator Ngwu, said to be one of the administrators of the group, allegedly disabled responses to prevent further confrontations. This angered several senators including Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a vocal figure in the Senate who publicly confronted Ngwu over the group shutdown and demanded that he reopen the platform and restore comments that had been deleted during the altercation.
Parallel Facts reported that former presidential aide to Goodluck Jonathan, Omokri, once swore never to accept any appointment or work with Bola Tinubu.
READ ALSO: FLASHBACK: “I Can Never Work With Tinubu, It’s Against My Principle and DNA” — Reno Omokri
Omokri was one of Tinubu’s fiercest critics prior to the 2023 presidential election, questioning his record, qualifications, and integrity.
Source: SaharaReporters
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