Former presidential aide and ambassadorial nominee, Reno Omokri, has disclosed how he reconciled with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after previously accusing him of being a “drug baron” ahead of the 2023 general election.
Omokri, who was recently nominated for an ambassadorial position by President Tinubu, admitted that he had made uncomplimentary remarks against the President in the past but said he had since apologised and withdrawn the statements after discovering they were untrue.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, January 28, Omokri was reacting to comments allegedly made against him by activist-publisher Omoyele Sowore during a court session. He said while he genuinely believed the allegations at the time he made them, subsequent findings proved otherwise.
Recall that during the heat of the 2023 presidential campaign, Omokri, who was aligned with the opposition, had publicly described Tinubu as a “drug baron”.
However, Omokri said his position changed following Tinubu’s inauguration as President.
“Subsequent to making those statements, I discovered that they were not, in fact, true, and I publicly withdrew them in writing and on video at various times and through multiple platforms,” he said.
He explained that on May 29, 2023, the day Tinubu was sworn in as President, he issued a public statement recognising him as Nigeria’s leader and urged Nigerians to move forward.
“On the day that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I released a statement affirming him as President of Nigeria and urging members of the public to put the past behind them and give him their full support,” Omokri stated.
According to him, he reiterated the same position after the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions filed against Tinubu by Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and others.
Omokri further revealed that he took personal steps to make amends, including travelling from the United States to Nigeria to apologise directly to the President.
“Prior to that, I had sought a private audience with the President himself on October 1, 2024, where I flew into Nigeria from my home in California, and apologised to him in person, prostrating flat on the ground,” he said.
He explained that during the meeting, he told Tinubu that he had been misled by media reports and acted under a mistaken belief, stressing that his actions were not driven by malice.
The former aide also said he had appeared on several television platforms to explain that Tinubu had been cleared of all allegations levelled against him.
Taking a swipe at Sowore, Omokri argued that statements he made before the 2023 elections, which were published by Sahara Reporters, could not be relied upon to justify remarks allegedly made by Sowore in August 2025.
“In law, it is ultra vires, and well established by the rule against hearsay, to use previous statements made at a time when it was believed to be true to establish the veracity of a claim you yourself caused to be published,” he said.
Omokri concluded by reaffirming his current stance on the President.
“I again affirm today, as I have proclaimed multiple times since Thursday, October 26, 2023, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not, has never been, and will never be a drug lord,” he said.
He described Tinubu as “a person of good character, high moral standing,” adding that his capacity to forgive former critics made him uniquely suited to lead Nigeria’s diverse society.
