A statement by former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has stirred fresh controversy within opposition ranks, as Segun Showunmi, who served as Atiku Abubakar’s spokesperson in the 2019 presidential election, dismissed Omokri’s claim of hiring him during the campaign.

Omokri, while speaking on The Honest Bunch podcast aired Monday night, June 23, 2025, suggested he had personally recruited Showunmi for Atiku’s media team.

He said, “Atiku wanted me to be his spokesperson. I said no, I’m not going to be a spokesperson for a president and then be a spokesperson for a presidential candidate.

“But, I hired his media team, and I hired Segun Showunmi; I interviewed him and set his salary.”

Shortly after the podcast episode gained attention online, Showunmi issued a firm rebuttal via his 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) handle, where he quote-posted a user, Imran Muhammad, who had shared Omokri’s comment.

He wrote, “It will be a waste of saliva responding to this rubbish. Amina Jambo, my friend, got Lulu Obaifo to convince me to visit Waziri, and when I did. I asked the questions and then visited Uyi Giwa Osagie. Then, he got a call from Ogd while they were in Dubai, then got to Abuja, then agreed with Atiku, then met with Dane Waters of met Eta Uso, then met Yemi Hilda.

“The younger man is delusional. I first set eyes on him at a Defence of London advertising in Dubai! Believe Reno if you like nonstop talking of rubbish.

“Ask him what the terms were and what the role of the then COS of Atiku, the Maiduguri man. Hire ko, hire ni.

“That was how he kept screaming rubbish about drugs and the president and what he was later to pretend to forget now that he talks rubbish.

“Na who no know Reno dey listen to his trash!”