The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has called on the National Assembly to reject the nomination of Reno Omokri as an ambassador.
Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, the council’s national president, addressed journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.
He described Omokri’s nomination as a “national embarrassment” that would expose Nigeria to ridicule internationally, adding that the nominee lacks the character, composure and integrity expected of a diplomat.
He described Omokri as “a well-known blatherskite, a gasbag, or a whiffler” who had “disgraced himself in Nigeria’s political landscape to satisfy his paymaster.”
He said confirming Omokri would amount to “international shame and disgrace.”
He cited a December 17, 2022, statement in which Omokri launched allegations against President Bola Tinubu.
Omokri reportedly said, “If anybody can get close enough to Bola Tinubu to take a sample of his hair or urine, this election will be over! Because with his hair or urine sample, a laboratory can analyse if he still takes drugs and what type of drugs he takes.”
Omokri allegedly added: “Tinubu is a known drug lord who belongs to jail, not Aso Rock! I went to Chicago myself and obtained verified court documents.”
He was also quoted as saying, “It will be a shame if this man anywhere gets close to Aso Rock. A nation with a drug lord president is a nation whose international passport automatically suspects.”
Igboayaka said confirming Omokri would elevate those comments to the level of government-verified statements.
He said: “If Reno Omokri is allowed to represent Nigeria internationally, he will be considered a constituted authority, and his statements can be cited as verified facts from a constituted authority.”
He added, “Therefore, the senate confirming Reno Omokri’s ambassadorial nomination is confirming his statement that Bola Tinubu is a known drug lord.”
He argued that “it now means one can quote, according to the ambassador of Nigeria, that ‘Bola Tinubu is a known drug lord.’”
He said such confirmation would constitute “an implied endorsement by the Nigerian state through its representative.”
He said Omokri “lacks the character, quality, integrity, speech composition and disposition” required of an ambassador.
He urged lawmakers to reject the nomination to avoid diplomatic embarrassment and “undue international criticism” for the president.
Omokri was one of the 32 nominees forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.
His inclusion has triggered criticism due to his past attacks on Tinubu, including once describing him as a “drug baron.”
He had also previously vowed never to accept any appointment from Tinubu.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.