Breaking: Reno Omokri Breaks Silence on U-turn to Tinubu's Administration
- Ambassador-designate Reno Omokri has clarified that he never stated he would refuse any offer from the federal government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
- Omokri made the remark on Wednesday, February 11, during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, monitored by Legit.ng
- The former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan is among the nominees President Tinubu has forwarded to the Senate for ambassadorial consideration
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - Public commentator Reno Omokri has clarified that he never vowed to refuse working with President Bola Tinubu.
Legit.ng reports that Omokri, a vocal critic of Tinubu during the 2023 election cycle, has faced intense scrutiny and public debate following his acceptance of an ambassadorial nomination from the President Tinubu-led federal government in late 2025.
Source: Twitter
In April 2023, before Tinubu’s inauguration, Omokri stated in a Mic On Podcast interview with Seun Okinbaloye that he would "never" work with Tinubu, calling it against his principles and not in his "DNA".
Prior to this, Omokri was a fierce critic of candidate Tinubu, calling him a "known drug lord" and questioning his academic credentials and eligibility, even staging protests against him in London.
By 2024, Omokri's stance shifted significantly. He accepted a nomination as an ambassador in President Tinubu's government in November 2025, which drew criticism regarding his consistency.
'Omokri serving Nigeria, not Tinubu'
But speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday evening, February 11, as monitored by Legit.ng, Omokri stated that by accepting the ambassadorial nomination, he is committing to serve Nigeria, not President Tinubu.
He said:
“I said if Tinubu asked me to work with him, I said that I will not. And I said that, the word I use is that 'it is not in my DNA'. My DNA has not changed.
“When I met with the administration’s officials, and then, look, I can't say everything that was said. I explained to them, I said, this is what I had said. I cannot take certain positions because I had said that I cannot work for this, I mean, because of certain things, particularly because of the things that I said. However, I never said that I cannot work for Nigeria. As an ambassador, I am working for Nigeria. I'm going to be an ambassador of the federal republic of Nigeria. I am serving my country. Very clearly.”
The X video can be watched below in full:
Source: Twitter
He added:
“When I had discussions (with the people at the presidency), I said, look, I cannot do this, I cannot do that, I cannot do this because of what I had said and because of the positions I have held. However, I can do this because then I will be working for Nigeria. But even at that, my position on President Bola Tinubu has changed. I believe he is the best thing for Nigeria.”
Omokri, Fani-Kayode retract criticism
Legit.ng earlier reported that former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, said that both he and Omokri have long retracted previous harsh criticisms made against President Tinubu, dismissing attempts to link them to a defamation case involving activist Omoyele Sowore.
Fani-Kayode made the clarification following claims that Sowore had referenced statements allegedly made by him about Tinubu over a decade ago in a bid to justify comments that are now the subject of a criminal defamation case.
Source: Legit.ng
