Reno Omokri Uses 1996 Tinubu-Dele Momodu London Photo to Counter Atiku's 90-Year Age Claim
- Nigerian Ambassador Designate Reno Omokri shared a 1996 photo of President Tinubu and journalist Dele Momodu taken in London to challenge claims that Tinubu is 90 years old
- Omokri argued that if Tinubu were 90 today, he would have been 60 in the photo, and asked Nigerians to judge his appearance for themselves
- The post drew sharp reactions from Nigerians who questioned Omokri's shift from critic to defender of the president he once called a drug lord
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja - Nigerian Ambassador Designate Reno Omokri has entered the debate over President Bola Tinubu's age, sharing a photograph he says was taken in London in 1996 showing Tinubu alongside publisher and journalist Dele Momodu.
Omokri challenged Nigerians to look at the photo and judge whether the man pictured could be 60 at the time, which is how old Tinubu would have been in 1996 if the 90-year allegation were true.
Source: Twitter
He stated this while reacting to claims made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that Tinubu is 90 years old.
The former presidential aide posted the image on Friday, August 28, 2026, via his X ahndle @renoomokri
"Does His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, look like a sixty-year-old in this photo?"
Former presidential aide added that he had not altered the image in any way.
Omokri also directed part of his message at Momodu himself, reminding the journalist that Tinubu had supported him during his time in exile under the Abacha military regime.
He argued that it would be morally questionable for Momodu to remain silent while a former benefactor faces what he described as false allegations.
Reno Omokri's shift from critic to defender
The post drew significant attention not only for its content but for the source.
Omokri was for years one of the most vocal critics of Tinubu before he was appointed ambassador designate, and several commenters flagged what they saw as a contradiction.
@Oyemaobichibu wrote:
"I like how you are working so hard to clean the same man you once called DRUG LORD. Suddenly everything the public is saying about Tinubu is fake and lies, Reno Omokri."
@oladele78036 said:
"I always respected your willingness to hold the administration accountable for its missteps. Seeing you align with them now is disappointing, as it feels like a compromise of core principles."
@PIfenkoronye questioned whether defending the president fell within the duties of an ambassador, writing:
"As for Atiku, his claim is laughable and shows ardent desperation for power."
Not all reactions focused on Omokri. @Accountant_Ladi pointed to Atiku's own position, writing:
"Atiku is a man drowning; sadly, he is not going to drown alone without pulling some people down with him. Dele Momodu is one of those people he is pulling down with him."
@tobest176 offered a broader observation:
"It's only in Nigeria that the true age of her number one citizen is in doubt and sketchy. What a country."
@Habulaptop took a different reading of the photograph:
"In this picture, even if Tinubu was not yet 60 years old at that time, he would have been around 55. So, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was not lying when he said Tinubu is 90 years old."
2027 election: Atiku dismisses age concerns
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku addressed questions about his age in a BBC Hausa interview published on Friday, pushing back against critics who raised concerns.
The ADC presidential candidate challenged the interviewer's premise by asking whether he appeared old enough to warrant the question.
Atiku also responded to claims that he had become a stumbling block to opposition coalition efforts ahead of the 2027 election.
Source: Legit.ng
