Tension is mounting in the Nigerian Senate following the nomination of social media commentator and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, as an ambassadorial nominee — an appointment that has ignited sharp divisions among lawmakers and led to the temporary shutdown of their official WhatsApp communication group.
Omokri, whose name appeared among the 32 nominees forwarded to the Senate for confirmation, has faced backlash from some legislators due to his past public criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including a controversial remark in which he once referred to the president as a “drug baron.”
According to multiple parliamentary sources cited by USAfricaonline, Senate President Godswill Akpabio played a pivotal role in forwarding Omokri’s nomination, allegedly as a political reward for “work done” on his behalf.
However, in a surprising reversal, Akpabio is now said to be mobilizing his allies within the Senate to block Omokri’s confirmation.
“The Senate President had nominated Omokri as a reward for the hatchet job he did for him,” one source disclosed. “However, Akpabio is rallying his clique to screen Omokri out on the claim that he once attacked Tinubu and called him a drug baron.”
Internal Resistance and Group Fallout
Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West has reportedly emerged as the lead voice opposing Omokri’s nomination, urging fellow lawmakers to reject him.
“Someone who called the President of Nigeria a drug baron and who has not retracted the statement should not represent Nigeria and Nigerians in the international and diplomatic society,” Ngwu argued.
He further added, “It’s about the office of the President, not about an individual.”
Sources say Ngwu has been lobbying colleagues privately, contending that Omokri’s previous remarks make him unfit to represent the country on the global stage.
The dispute reportedly spilled over into the Senate’s WhatsApp group after heated exchanges between senators forced administrators to lock the group. Ngwu, said to be one of the administrators, allegedly disabled comments to halt the argument — a move that infuriated several lawmakers who accused him of censorship.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan confronted Ngwu publicly, demanding the group be reopened and deleted comments restored.
“Dear Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West Senatorial District, you will open responses in the Senators’ WhatsApp forum and repost my deleted comments,” she wrote. “Else I’ll bring the discussion to the public domain.”
Nomination Screening Set to Begin
Despite the ongoing controversy, sources confirmed that the Senate is expected to begin screening ambassadorial nominees on Tuesday.
Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was one of President Tinubu’s fiercest critics prior to the 2023 elections. He had openly questioned Tinubu’s record, qualifications, and integrity, at one point vowing never to work with him.
During an appearance on the Mic On podcast hosted by journalist Seun Okinbaloye, Omokri said:
“It will never happen. I can’t do it. It’s just against my principles. Some people can do that. It’s not in my DNA. I can’t do it. It’s never going to happen.”
He added that although he now acknowledges Tinubu’s attendance at Chicago University, his earlier criticism was based on what he described as “issues of principle.”
Omokri’s nomination has since deepened factional tensions within the Senate, dividing lawmakers between those loyal to Akpabio and others defending the President’s stance on loyalty and credibility.
