Oritsebemigho Ogbareno ‘Reno Omokri’, a former spokesperson for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, once vowed never to work with or accept an appointment from President Bola Tinubu, stating definitively that such an action was “not in my DNA.”
Prior to the 2023 presidential election, Omokri earned a reputation for regularly calling out Tinubu as a corrupt politician, questioning his record, qualifications, and integrity.
In a dramatic twist of events, he emerged among the 32 ambassadorial nominees sent by Tinubu to the Senate on Saturday.
The list also includes former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmud Yakubu; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and former Enugu State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
After Omokri accepted the nomination with gratitude, his old remarks during an appearance on the Mic On podcast, hosted by journalist Seun Okinbaloye, where he foreclosed any chance of accepting appointments from Tinubu, have surfaced.
Footage of the interview trending online highlights a period when he firmly dismissed any possibility of joining President Tinubu’s administration.
“It will never happen,” he said.
Pressed further on whether any scenario could make him reconsider, he added: “Oh my gosh, I don’t want to betray privilege.
“Somebody from Bola Tinubu’s camp has already reached out to me, and I told the person that, look, it cannot happen.
“I can’t do it.
“It’s just against my principles.
“Some people can do that.
“It’s not in my DNA.
“I can’t do it.
“It’s never going to happen.
“It’s never going to happen.
“I wish Bola Tinubu well if he eventually is sworn in and then the court upholds his victory.
“But I can never work with him.”
President Tinubu on Saturday forwarded the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees, Omokri included, to the Senate for confirmation just days after submitting an initial list of three.
In two separate letters addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu urged the Senate to “consider and confirm expeditiously” 15 career ambassadorial nominees and 17 non-career nominees.
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