Former presidential aide and ambassador-designate, Reno Omokri, has admitted that he was wrong to describe President Bola Tinubu as a “drug lord”, saying his investigations in the United States found no evidence to support the allegation.
Omokri, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, also defended Tinubu against questions over his educational background, saying the President was qualified to occupy the office and seek re-election in 2027.
According to him, he travelled to Chicago in September 2022 to independently investigate claims about Tinubu’s academic history and alleged links to drug-related activities.
He said he arrived in Chicago on September 18, 2022, and visited Chicago State University the following day.
Omokri said officials of the university provided documentary and photographic evidence, as well as newspaper clippings, confirming that Tinubu attended the institution.
“I honestly believed what the media reported. Like most Nigerians, probably you who believe me, but I did something that no other Nigerian did. I went to Chicago,” he said.
He said the information he obtained forced him to change his position publicly, despite the possible political consequences.
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“Right there in Chicago, I came out, even though it was against my own political best interest, and I said, look, it is not true,” Omokri said.
Tinubu’s US records
Omokri said he also examined United States records concerning Tinubu and found no criminal arrest record or outstanding warrant against him in a 2003 check.
“The results of the checks were negative for any criminal arrest records, once, or warrant, for Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
He further argued that Tinubu was not the subject of the investigation referenced in the US records.
“There was an investigation. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not the subject of the investigation. The president was not the person that was being investigated,” he said.
Omokri said part of the controversy arose from a 1993 US civil forfeiture proceeding involving about $460,000 linked to accounts associated with Tinubu.
He explained that the money was forfeited to the US government in a case connected to a wider investigation into heroin trafficking, stressing that the proceeding was a civil forfeiture case rather than a criminal conviction of Tinubu.
However, Omokri warned that the records could still be used by Tinubu’s political opponents during the 2027 election campaign.
Why Tinubu Had no Primary, Secondary Certificates
Addressing questions about Tinubu’s primary and secondary school certificates, Omokri said many Nigerians of the President’s generation did not attend conventional schools.
“Are you aware that at the time the president went to primary school, at the time the president would have gone to primary school, secondary school, most Nigerians were not going to regular schools; a lot of them were being homeschooled,” he said.
He challenged critics questioning Tinubu’s educational history to produce evidence of their own primary school classmates.
“If you ask some of these opponents of the president to produce their primary school classmate, they cannot,” Omokri said.
He also cited his family as an example, saying one of his children is homeschooled and that his Ethiopian wife was also homeschooled.
Omokri maintained that Tinubu was qualified for the presidency and for another term in office.
“We know for a fact that the president is qualified for the position he’s holding, for the position he wants to be reelected to,” he said.
On Tinubu’s tertiary education, Omokri pointed to his attendance at Chicago State University, saying the university’s registrar testified in court and confirmed that Tinubu was admitted, attended and graduated from the institution.
“He went to Chicago State University. The registrar of that school went to court, and they confirmed that Tinubu was admitted, attended, and graduated from that school. That is enough,” he said.
Omokri Also Investigated Peter Obi Allegation
The ambassador-designate also discussed allegations linking former Anambra State governor and opposition politician, Peter Obi, to drug trafficking.
He said he travelled to Peru after similar allegations were made against Obi and interviewed officials to establish whether the claims were true.
“I went to Peru. When, if you remember, they accused Peter Obi of also being a drug lord. I went. I interviewed the Peruvian officials and I said, you know, Peter Obi is innocent. There’s nothing there,” he said.
Omokri had previously said his 2022 visit to Peru found no evidence linking Obi to drug trafficking.
From Critic to Tinubu Supporter
Omokri’s latest comments come after his earlier attacks on Tinubu resurfaced during the trial of activist Omoyele Sowore.
In January, the Federal High Court in Abuja admitted a video in which Omokri described Tinubu as a “drug lord” and claimed to possess documents supporting the allegation.
Omokri has since become a supporter of the Tinubu administration and was nominated as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.