Former presidential aide and ambassador-designate, Reno Omokri, has stated that activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore cannot rely on his past remarks calling President Bola Tinubu a “drug lord” in defence of his ongoing cybercrime trial.
In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES and posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Omokri responded to comments attributed to Sowore and his lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, during proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
During the hearing, the court admitted video clips presented by Sowore’s defence team, including one showing Omokri in a 2023 interview on Arise News claiming he had documentary evidence linking Tinubu to drug-related offences.
Omokri acknowledged that his uncomplimentary remarks about President Tinubu during the 2022–2023 election campaign were made in good faith but later proved false. He stated that he subsequently withdrew the claims publicly through written statements and video messages on multiple platforms.
He noted that he formally recognised Tinubu as President on 29 May 2023, the day of his inauguration, and urged Nigerians to support the new administration. Omokri reiterated this position on 26 October 2023, following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of petitions challenging Tinubu’s election. He also highlighted that the Supreme Court confirmed there were no criminal charges or convictions against the president.
Omokri recalled granting a TVC interview on 28 October 2023 describing the Supreme Court ruling as just and consistent with the law, and appearing on News Central Television on 27 March 2025 and Channels Television’s Politics Today on 11 June 2025 to apologise for relying on media reports for earlier statements. He further stated that he personally apologised to President Tinubu during a private meeting on 1 October 2024.
Reacting to the use of his past statements in court, Omokri argued that under Nigerian and common law, statements that have been withdrawn cannot be used to establish the truth of allegations at a later date.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,” Omokri said, adding that he is prepared to testify under oath and provide documentary evidence to support his claims.
The dispute stems from 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 argued that 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 Omokri calling Tinubu a “drug lord” in televised interviews during the 2023 election campaign. One clip, recorded during a 2023 ARISE News appearance, showed him claiming to possess documentary evidence linking Tinubu to drug-related offences in the United States, while another clip showed him vowing never to work with the president. The prosecution had 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.
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 Tinubu’s election and confirming that there were no criminal convictions against him, Omokri publicly withdrew his statements and apologised.
