An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Denge Josef Onoh, has urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to withhold security clearance for Reno Omokri, warning that doing otherwise could undermine national security and complicate an ongoing treasonable felony prosecution.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Onoh said clearing Omokri, currently undergoing DSS screening as an ambassadorial nominee, would create “grave and avoidable consequences” for both the agency and the country.
He argued that Omokri’s past public allegations against President Bola Tinubu far exceed those made by activist Omoyele Sowore, who is being prosecuted on charges that include treasonable felony for repeatedly labeling the President “a criminal”.
Onoh said Omokri went “significantly further” between 2022 and 2024 when he repeatedly described the President as “a drug baron” and claimed to possess documentary evidence that he vowed to reveal in court.
He said granting the former presidential aide security clearance would contradict the basis of the ongoing prosecution against Sowore and strengthen arguments of selective justice.
“Clearing Omokri sends the message that calling the President a ‘drug baron’ is compatible with high diplomatic office, while someone who made a less detailed allegation is in court,” Onoh said.
He warned that such an outcome could damage the DSS’ credibility and expose Nigeria to diplomatic embarrassment, adding that several foreign missions are already uneasy about Omokri’s nomination.
Citing Section 172 of the constitution, which requires ambassadors to be persons of proven integrity, Onoh said the clearance could lead to rejection of agrément by host countries and negative international press coverage.
“To clear him is to hand him a platform to claim vindication, collapse the treasonable felony case, and make Nigeria a laughing stock on the diplomatic stage,” he said.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.