Former presidential aide and ambassador-designate Reno Omokri has dismissed attempts by Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, to rely on his past comments about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of a legal defence in an ongoing cybercrime case. Omokri insisted that statements he had previously made against the president were withdrawn after he discovered they were false.
Sowore is currently standing trial on a two-count charge filed by the Department of State Services, following an August 2025 social media post in which he described President Tinubu as a criminal. Okay News reports that the case returned to court this week, with the defence presenting video materials during cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness.
Among the exhibits tendered by Sowore’s lawyer were video clips featuring Omokri, including a 2023 television interview in which he alleged that Tinubu was involved in drug-related activities. Another clip showed Omokri declaring at the time that he would never work with Tinubu, remarks that were played openly in court.
In a statement reacting to the development, Omokri acknowledged making those comments between 2022 and 2023, explaining that he believed them to be true at the time. He said that further personal investigation later revealed the claims to be incorrect, prompting him to withdraw them publicly through written statements and video messages.
Omokri said he formally changed his position after Tinubu’s inauguration in May 2023 and again after the Supreme Court dismissed all petitions challenging the president’s election. According to him, the apex court’s ruling clarified issues that had been misrepresented in the media and confirmed that there were no criminal convictions against Tinubu.
He added that he personally apologised to the president in October 2024 during a visit to Nigeria, stating that he had been misled by media reports into making the allegations. Omokri said he reaffirmed his revised stance in multiple television interviews following the court judgment.
On the legal implications, Omokri argued that it was improper for Sowore to rely on statements that had already been withdrawn. He cited established rules of evidence, saying previous statements could not be used to prove the truth of claims that were later disowned.
“I again affirm that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not, has never been, and will never be a drug lord,” Omokri said, adding that he is ready to testify under oath and present documents to support his position as the trial continues.
