‘President Tinubu Has Never Been A Drug Lord’ – Reno Omokri Revert On His Claim

Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has responded to claims made during the ongoing trial of activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, saying his past criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were made in error and have since been publicly withdrawn.

Omokri’s statement, released on Wednesday, came after Sowore’s lawyer raised questions in the Federal High Court, Abuja, about why Omokri was cleared by the Department of State Services (DSS) for an ambassadorial appointment despite his previous remarks against Tinubu.

The issue surfaced on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, during Sowore’s trial on a two‑count amended cybercrime charge, when his counsel, Mr Abubakar Marshal, played video clips of Omokri describing Tinubu as a “drug lord” in a 2023 interview.

Responding to the allegations, Omokri acknowledged that he did make the uncomplimentary remarks about Tinubu.

“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.

Omokri said he later discovered that the remarks were not true, and took steps to retract them publicly, both in writing and on video across multiple platforms.

“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 stated.

He added that he affirmed Tinubu as President on May 29, 2023, the day the president was sworn in, and urged Nigerians to move forward.

“On the day that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as President… I released a statement affirming him as President of Nigeria and urging members of the public to put the past behind them and give him their full support,” he said.

Omokri noted that he reiterated this position on October 26, 2023, after the Supreme Court dismissed petitions challenging Tinubu’s election.

“In that judgment, the honourable court declared that there were no criminal charges or convictions against the President,” he said.

Omokri said he accepted the Supreme Court verdict and publicly changed his position, apologising on live television on outlets including TVC, News Central Television, and Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“I admitted… during a live broadcast that I was wrong about those statements I made about the then‑candidate,” he said.

He also revealed that he apologised privately to President Tinubu in October 2024, saying he flew into Nigeria from California to make the apology in person, even prostrating flat on the ground before the president.

Addressing the legal point raised in court, Omokri argued that Sowore could not rely on his withdrawn statements from 2022 and 2023 to defend later publications.

“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,” he said.

He further cited legal authorities on evidence to support his argument.

“Former oral or written statements by any person… may not be given in evidence if the purpose is to tender them as evidence of the truth of the matters asserted,” he quoted from Phipson on Evidence.

Omokri again denied the allegation against the President.

“I again affirm today… that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not, has never been, and will never be a drug lord,” he said.

He said his statements were made freely and voluntarily, and that he was willing to testify under oath.

“I am fully prepared to testify to the above under oath in court,” Omokri added.

Court Drama As Clips Played In Evidence

The court session on Tuesday featured dramatic scenes, with Sowore’s counsel tendering a flash drive containing video clips of Omokri’s past comments during the cross‑examination of a DSS operative, Mr. Cyril Nosike.

One clip included Omokri saying, “Drug lord is not an unprintable name. Bola Tinubu is a known drug lord. I’ve got documents to back it up.”

Another showed him stating he would never work with Tinubu.

Although the prosecution counsel, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, objected to the admissibility of the exhibits, Justice Mohammed Umar overruled the objection and admitted them in evidence.

The court adjourned the matter until February 4 for the continuation of the trial.