Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has addressed claims he made about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that his previous criticisms were mistaken and have since been publicly withdrawn.
Omokri issued the statement on Wednesday, following questions raised during the trial of activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore at the Federal High Court, Abuja. Sowore’s lawyer had asked why Omokri was cleared by the Department of State Services (DSS) for an ambassadorial role despite his earlier remarks against Tinubu.
The issue arose during Sowore’s trial on a two-count amended cybercrime charge, when video clips from a 2023 interview surfaced in which Omokri referred to Tinubu as a “drug lord.”
Responding, Omokri admitted making the statements but explained that he later discovered they were untrue and publicly retracted them across multiple platforms.
“I freely admit I made uncomplimentary remarks about the then-presidential candidate of the APC, believing them to be true at the time. Subsequently, I found out they were false and publicly withdrew them in writing and on video,” he said.
Omokri added that he formally recognized Tinubu as President on May 29, 2023, the day of his inauguration, and encouraged Nigerians to support him. He reiterated this position after the Supreme Court dismissed election petitions on October 26, 2023, noting that the court confirmed there were no criminal charges or convictions against Tinubu.
He also disclosed that he apologized personally to President Tinubu in October 2024, traveling from California to Nigeria to make the apology in person, even prostrating before the President.
Addressing the court, Omokri argued that Sowore could not rely on his withdrawn statements from 2022 and 2023 to defend later publications. Quoting Phipson on Evidence, he emphasized that prior statements cannot be used as proof of truth once retracted.
“I affirm today that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not, has never been, and will never be a drug lord,” Omokri declared. He said he was willing to testify under oath.
Tuesday’s court session saw dramatic moments as Sowore’s counsel played clips of Omokri’s past comments, including him saying, “Drug lord is not an unprintable name. Bola Tinubu is a known drug lord. I’ve got documents to back it up,” and declaring he would never work with Tinubu. Despite objections from the prosecution, the judge admitted the clips as evidence.
The court adjourned the case until February 4 for the continuation of proceedings.