Tension is rising within the Nigerian Senate following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s submission of 32 ambassadorial nominees, including former presidential aide and social media commentator Reno Omokri. His nomination has sparked heated disagreements, internal lobbying, and the abrupt lockdown of the Senate’s official WhatsApp communication group.
Multiple Senate insiders disclosed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially pushed Omokri’s name as a political reward for past favours. However, in a surprising turn, Akpabio is now reportedly mobilising his loyalists to oppose the same nominee on grounds that Omokri had previously referred to President Tinubu as a “drug baron.”
Sources revealed that Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West has taken the lead in rallying against Omokri’s confirmation. Ngwu has reportedly been contacting fellow lawmakers, insisting that someone who publicly made such allegations against a sitting president should not represent Nigeria internationally.
The internal dispute escalated when arguments erupted in the Senate WhatsApp group, prompting Ngwu—one of the administrators—to lock the group and disable responses. This action angered several lawmakers who accused him of silencing dissent.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan openly confronted Ngwu, demanding that he reopen the forum and restore messages deleted during the heated exchange. She warned that failure to do so would force her to take the matter to the public.
Ngwu, standing his ground, argued that anyone who made such allegations about the president—without retraction—was unfit to represent the nation in any diplomatic capacity.
As exchanges intensified, divisions within the Senate became more pronounced, even as the chamber prepares to commence screening of ambassadors on Tuesday.
Previously, Omokri had publicly stated that he would never work for President Tinubu, despite later softening his stance after verifying Tinubu’s academic history. During a podcast interview, he revealed that even when approached by someone from Tinubu’s camp, he declined on principle.
Despite the uproar, the Senate is expected to proceed with the screening exercise as speculations grow on whether Omokri will survive the mounting opposition.
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