Social media influencer and public commentator, Reno Omokri has defended his shift from being a vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu to a supporter.
He cited new evidence and a trusted personal relationship as key factors in his change of stance.
Speaking on Breakfast Central on Thursday, Omokri acknowledged that public memory in Nigeria is often short-lived, stating, “Well, if you look back into history, a lot of Nigerians are not meticulous when it comes to keepers, and as a country, we have a very short memory.”
Omokri explained that his initial opposition to Tinubu was based on two major concerns: the President’s academic credentials and alleged links to drug-related activities.
However, a personal investigation into Tinubu’s educational background in September 2022 led him to reconsider one of these concerns.
“I met with individuals there; I was given inconsiderable evidence that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu attended, passed his exams, and graduated from Chicago State University.
“And after that date, I changed completely,” Omokri, who served as a Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, stated.
Following this discovery, he publicly withdrew his previous claims and urged others to stop spreading what he now considers misinformation.
Despite this shift, Omokri maintained his criticism regarding the drug allegations, noting that he even protested Tinubu at Chatham House on that issue alone.
However, the Supreme Court’s verdict later prompted a further reassessment.
Speaking on the issue, he said, “The Supreme Court decision…said that they’ve looked into the drug issue and he was not a drug convict; it was not even a conviction against him; it was a conviction against another person, and he was involved only to the extent that he was an accountant for that person.”
Omokri admitted that this ruling forced him to rethink his stance, stating, “I had to make a decision that since he had been exonerated by the court, I cannot continue to criticise him on that issue because I will be like the people I had condemned who are still criticising him on academic qualifications.”
Following Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election, Omokri initially planned to focus on his writing and travels.
However, the appointment of his close friend, Nuhu Ribadu, as National Security Adviser significantly influenced his decision to support the administration, he told News Central.
“Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and I have had a very solid and strong relationship right after he had been exiled by the Yaradua administration.
“In California, we spent a lot of time together; we were like brothers,” he revealed.
Omokri said Ribadu convinced him of the administration’s genuine intentions to improve Nigeria, leading him to take a definitive stance in support of the government.
“He convinced me. After he convinced me, I did a video in his office, and I told Nigerians that as long as Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is in this government, I am going to support this government, and I am going to support their economic policies.”
He concluded by emphasizing that his change of stance was a result of evidence and principle, attributing any confusion to what he described as the Nigerian public’s short memory.
