Former presidential aide and ambassador-designate, Reno Omokri, has said activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore cannot rely on his past statements calling President Bola Tinubu a “drug lord” in defence of his ongoing cybercrime trial.
In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES and also posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Mr Omokri responded to comments attributed to Mr Sowore and his lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, during proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
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At Tuesday’s proceedings, the court admitted in evidence video clips presented by Mr Sowore’s defence team, including one showing Mr Omorkri boasting during a 2023 interview on Arise News that he had documentary evidence to show that Mr Tinubu was a drug lord.
But on Wednesday, he acknowledged that his uncomplimentary remarks about President Tinubu during the 2022–2023 electioneering were made in good faith but later proved to be false.
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He said he later discovered that the claims were false and withdrew them publicly through written statements and video messages on multiple platforms.
He added that he formally recognised Mr Tinubu as President on 29 May 2023, the day of his inauguration, and urged Nigerians to support the new administration.
He also said he repeated that position on 26 October 2023, following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of petitions challenging Mr Tinubu’s election.
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Mr Omokri recalled that the Supreme Court ruled that there were no criminal charges or convictions against the president.
He stated that he had publicly admitted the claims he had previously repeated were incorrect and based on misinformation.
On 28 October 2023, he said he granted a TVC interview in which he described the Supreme Court ruling as just and consistent with the law.
He also recalled appearing on News Central Television on 27 March 2025 and on Channels Television’s Politics Today on 11 June 2025, where he apologised for relying on media reports in making earlier statements.
On 1 October 2024, he said he personally apologised to President Tinubu during a private meeting in Nigeria.
Reacting to the use of his past statements in court, Mr Omokri argued that under Nigerian and common law, statements that have been withdrawn cannot be used to establish the truth of allegations made at a later date.
He cited the rule against hearsay and referenced Phipson on Evidence and the Privy Council decision in Teper v. R.
“President Tinubu is not, has never been, and will never be a drug lord,” Mr Omokri said, adding that he is prepared to testify under oath and provide documentary evidence to support his claims.
Backstory
The dispute arose from Mr Sowore’s cybercrime trial over two social media posts published in August 2025 in which he described President Tinubu as a criminal.
The federal government said the posts could cause a breakdown of law and order and damage the president’s reputation.
During proceedings on Tuesday, the court admitted video clips showing Mr Omokri calling Mr Tinubu a “drug lord” in televised interviews during the 2023 election campaign.
One clip, recorded during a 2023 ARISE News appearance, showed him claiming he had documentary evidence linking Mr Tinubu to drug-related offences in the United States.
Another clip showed him vowing never to work with the president.
The prosecution objected to the videos, arguing that the producer was not listed as a witness, but the trial judge, Mohammed Umar, admitted the clips and adjourned the case until 4 February for continuation.
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Mr Omokri was confirmed by the Senate in December 2025 as one of President Tinubu’s 64 ambassadorial nominees, despite his earlier opposition to the president.
His past remarks were based on documents related to a 1993 civil forfeiture case in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, which has remained a focal point in political debates.
Following the Supreme Court’s 26 October 2023 judgement affirming Mr Tinubu’s election and confirming that there were no criminal convictions against him, Mr Omokri publicly withdrew his statements and apologised.
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