A significant rift has erupted within the Nigerian Senate following the appearance of social media personality and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s latest list of ambassadorial nominees.
Omokri, whose name was among 32 nominees forwarded to the upper chamber for confirmation, has become the centre of a fierce internal battle.
His critics within the Senate are pointing to his past scathing remarks about President Tinubu—particularly an instance where he allegedly referred to the President as a “drug baron”—as grounds for disqualification.
Akpabio Accused Of Engineering, Then Sabotaging Nomination
Sources quoted by Sahara Reporters revealed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio originally pushed for Omokri’s inclusion as a political favour, describing it as recompense for “a hatchet job” Omokri allegedly did on his behalf.
In an unexpected twist, Akpabio is now said to be urging his allies to block Omokri’s confirmation, citing the commentator’s previous attacks on the President as justification.
One insider explained the dramatic U-turn: “Akpabio nominated Omokri as compensation, but he is now rallying his loyalists to screen him out because of Omokri’s past comments about Tinubu.”
Senator Ngwu Leads Resistance Against Nominee
The controversy escalated when Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West reportedly took it upon himself to mobilize senators opposed to the nomination. Ngwu has argued that anyone who once made such serious allegations against the Commander-in-Chief cannot credibly represent Nigeria on the global stage.
According to sources, Ngwu has been “forcefully persuading” colleagues to reject Apmokri’s nomination during the upcoming screening sessions.
Senate WhatsApp Platform Locked Amid Fiery Exchanges
The tension spilled into the Senate’s internal WhatsApp communication group, where heated arguments over Omokri’s nomination led to the abrupt locking of the platform.
Senator Ngwu, believed to be one of the group administrators, reportedly disabled comments to prevent the escalating dispute from spiraling further.
This action infuriated several lawmakers, including Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who publicly confronted Ngwu for “silencing” senators.
She demanded the reopening of the platform and restoration of posts allegedly deleted during the confrontation, warning: “Reopen responses in the senators’ WhatsApp forum and repost my deleted comments, or I will bring the issue into the public domain.”*
Ngwu defended both his position and the decision to restrict comments. He maintained that any individual who publicly labelled the President a “drug baron” without retracting the claim is unfit for diplomatic service.
“It is about the integrity of the office of the President, not the individual,”* he insisted.
Screening Set to Begin Amid Political Storm
Despite the uproar, the Senate is expected to proceed with the screening of all ambassadorial nominees on Tuesday.
The internal turmoil has set the stage for what could become one of the most contentious confirmation battles in recent years.
Omokri’s Past Statements Complicate Senate Debate
The controversy is further fueled by Omokri’s own prior public pronouncements.
Before the 2023 general election, he repeatedly insisted that he would never accept an appointment under President Tinubu’s administration.
During an interview on Seun Okinbaloye’s Mic On podcast, Omokri dismissed the possibility outright, saying: “It will never happen.”
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He disclosed that someone from Tinubu’s team once reached out to him, but he declined, stating that doing so would violate his principles.
“I can’t do it. It’s not in my DNA. I can never work with him,” he emphasised at the time.
With the Senate now sharply divided, the unfolding political drama suggests that Omokri’s nomination may face formidable resistance when screenings commence.
