Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, spoke at length about Nigeria’s politics, President Bola Tinubu and the 2027 election. JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH was there for LEADERSHIP Weekend.
You strongly opposed President Bola Tinubu before the 2023 election and supported Atiku Abubakar. Today, you vigorously defend Tinubu and have said you will vote for him in 2027. What changed?
Sadly, many Nigerians are not sufficiently fact-driven. There is a tendency to be emotional rather than to follow evidence. I have always tried to be a fact-driven person. Before and around the 2023 election, the media reported certain things about President Tinubu, and I believed some of those reports. However, because I am naturally curious, I decided to investigate the allegations myself. I went to Chicago to investigate the claims about President Tinubu. I went to Chicago State University with a witness, and the process was documented. I was presented with evidence that President Tinubu attended and graduated from Chicago State University. Once I established this fact, I said so publicly, even though it ran counter to my political interests at the time. I also continued investigating the civil forfeiture case. After examining court documents and obtaining certified true copies, I concluded that some of what I had previously believed was incorrect. So, when the evidence changed, I changed my position.
Would you still be defending President Tinubu today if he had not appointed you as an ambassador?
Yes. I defend what I believe to be the truth. Before President Tinubu appointed me ambassador, I was already defending positions I believed were supported by facts.
I do not need people to like me. I am comfortable being disliked. I have always tried to be fact-driven rather than emotional.
Are you saying categorically that the FBI records do not establish any criminality against President Tinubu?
Yes. There is no criminal record in the FBI’s records against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There is an important difference between having an FBI record and having a criminal record.
A record is simply a record. Many people may have records because they have applied for visas, undergone background checks, or had other interactions that required FBI checks. The narrative being promoted is intended to confuse Nigerians into believing that an FBI record automatically equates to a criminal record. That is not correct. I have seen a document from the FBI, through the American Embassy, stating that a record check conducted through the FBI’s National Crime Information Centre returned a negative result for criminal arrest records and warrants concerning Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Why would President Tinubu resist the release of his FBI records if there is nothing criminal in them?
FBI records can contain highly sensitive personal information. Depending on the circumstances, they may include biometric information such as fingerprints and other personal details. Why would anyone want such private information released publicly? People should understand that demanding the release of someone’s entire FBI file is different from asking whether that person has a criminal record.
You also claimed that all major presidential candidates have FBI records. What do you mean?
An FBI record is not the same as a criminal record. Many people who have applied for American visas or undergone background checks may have records associated with those processes. The public must understand the difference between an FBI record and a criminal conviction.
You once worked closely with Atiku Abubakar and supported his presidential ambition. What happened between the two of you?
Nothing happened between us. We have not quarrelled. Waziri Atiku Abubakar remains my friend, and I still respect him. People may disagree politically without becoming personal enemies. Even when some of his associates attacked me publicly, I did not allow that to destroy my relationship with him.
