Nigeria’s ambassador, Reno Omokri, has given a detailed account of how he apologised to President Bola Tinubu after previously labelling him a “drug lord,” admitting that the allegation was based on information he later discovered to be false.
Omokri made the clarification in a statement Wednesday while reacting to comments credited to activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, through his lawyer during court proceedings on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
According to Omokri, he made the uncomplimentary remarks against Tinubu while believing them to be true at the time but later found out that they were inaccurate.
“I freely admit that I did make uncomplimentary remarks about the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, while believing those comments to be true at the time I uttered them,” he said.
He explained that after discovering the claims were untrue, he publicly withdrew them in writing and on video across multiple platforms.
Omokri said he first affirmed Tinubu as President of Nigeria on May 29, 2023, the day of his inauguration, and urged Nigerians to move past the election disputes and support the new administration.
He added that he reiterated this position on October 26, 2023, following the Supreme Court judgment that dismissed all petitions challenging Tinubu’s election.
“The Supreme Court clearly stated that there were no criminal charges or convictions against the President and clarified issues that had been misrepresented by sections of the media,” Omokri noted.
He said he accepted and applauded the judgment on the same day it was delivered, describing it as righteous and in line with the letter and spirit of the law during a later interview on TVC.
Omokri further disclosed that on October 1, 2024, he sought a private audience with President Tinubu, flew into Nigeria from the United States, and personally apologised to him.
“I prostrated flat on the ground and explained that I had been misled by media publications into making those statements,” he said, adding that his actions were not malicious.
He also revealed that he repeated his retraction on several television platforms, including News Central and Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he publicly admitted that he relied on false media reports, particularly from Sowore’s platform.
The former aide argued that in law, statements he had withdrawn could not be relied upon by Sowore as a defence for later remarks, citing the rule against hearsay and established principles of evidence.
Omokri reaffirmed that President Tinubu “is not, has never been, and will never be a drug lord,” describing him as a man of good character and moral standing.
He concluded by stating that he made the clarification voluntarily and was prepared to testify under oath, with documentary and time-stamped evidence, to support his claims.
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