A former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly and Southeast spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Joseph Onoh, has submitted a formal petition to the Senate President protesting the confirmation of Reno Omokri as an ambassador designate. The letter, delivered at the National Assembly on Monday, urges lawmakers to reject the nomination on the grounds that Omokri’s past public conduct threatens Nigeria’s diplomatic credibility.
In the letter titled “Strong protest against the confirmation of Bernadette Reno Omokri as ambassador-designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, Onoh described himself as a committed defender of the administration’s policies, yet insisted that Omokri’s nomination poses a serious danger to national interest. He argued that Omokri’s record of statements and actions could cause lasting harm to the country’s international standing.
Onoh cited a series of remarks and publications he described as defamatory attacks on President Tinubu during the years 2019 to 2023. According to him, Omokri repeatedly portrayed the President as being tied to narcotics trafficking, claiming on various media platforms to possess documents implicating him in criminal activity. He said Omokri pushed these allegations on television, radio and social media, reaching audiences in and outside the country.
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He also referenced Omokri’s participation in protests abroad and his promotion of a document later dismissed as forged. Onoh contends that such material influenced advocacy groups in the United States and contributed to Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern, a label that carried diplomatic consequences.
The petition argues that appointing Omokri as ambassador would send a troubling message to the world, suggesting that Nigeria accepts the same allegations used to target its President. Onoh questioned how the Department of State Services, which had raised concerns over other nominees in the past, cleared a candidate who had publicly accused the President of criminality. He warned that confirming Omokri could undermine confidence in official vetting processes and damage the standards expected of Nigerian diplomats.
Onoh urged the Senate to withhold confirmation unless Omokri appears before lawmakers and presents the evidence he has repeatedly claimed to possess. Failure to do so, he said, should result in an outright rejection of the appointment. He argued that approving the nomination would validate narratives that have harmed Nigeria’s reputation and cast doubt on the integrity of its leadership.
