Ambassador-designate Reno Omokri has reacted to claims raised during the ongoing trial of activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, after Sowore’s defence team questioned why Omokri was cleared by the Department of State Services (DSS) for an ambassadorial appointment despite his past criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Newsonspot reports that the issue came up on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, during Sowore’s trial on a two-count amended cybercrime charge. Sowore’s lead counsel, Abubakar Marshal, reportedly played video clips in court showing Omokri describing Tinubu as a “drug lord” during earlier media appearances.
Reacting in a statement released on Wednesday, Omokri acknowledged that he had previously made uncomplimentary remarks about Tinubu, explaining that he believed the claims to be true at the time.
“I do 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,” Omokri said.
However, he stated that he later discovered the allegations were not true and publicly withdrew them through various platforms, both in writing and on video.
“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 added.
Omokri said he affirmed Tinubu’s leadership on May 29, 2023, the day he was sworn in as President, urging Nigerians to move forward and support the administration. He also noted that he repeated this position on October 26, 2023, after the Supreme Court dismissed election petitions against Tinubu.
According to Omokri, the apex court ruling clarified that there were no criminal charges or convictions against the President, and that the judgment influenced his decision to fully withdraw his earlier remarks.
He further stated that he went on major TV platforms including TVC, News Central, and Channels Television’s Politics Today to publicly admit he was wrong and apologise for the statements.
Omokri also revealed that he sought a private meeting with President Tinubu in October 2024, saying he travelled from California to Nigeria and apologised in person.
Addressing the legal argument in court, Omokri insisted that Sowore and his legal team cannot rely on statements he had already withdrawn as evidence to justify later publications. He cited legal authorities on evidence, stressing that past statements should not be tendered to prove the truth of matters already retracted.
“Therefore, Mr Sowore cannot rely on statements I made between 2022 and 2023, and then publicly withdrew in 2023, as a defence for statements he made in August 2025,” Omokri stated.
The court session reportedly featured dramatic moments as Sowore’s counsel tendered a flash drive containing video clips during the cross-examination of a DSS operative, Cyril Nosike. Although the prosecution objected to the admissibility of the exhibits, the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, admitted them into evidence.
The matter was adjourned until February 4 for continuation of the trial.
