Former presidential aide and ambassador-designate Reno Omokri has said activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore cannot rely on an earlier statement in which Mr. Omokri described President Bola Tinubu as a “drug lord” to support his defence in an ongoing trial.
The issue came up on Tuesday during Mr. Sowore’s cybercrime trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where his lawyer tendered video clips of Mr. Omokri from a 2023 interview in which he made the “drug lord” allegation against President Tinubu.
On Wednesday, Mr. Omokri said the remarks were made in good faith at the time but later discovered to be untrue and were publicly withdrawn through written and video statements on multiple platforms. He argued that under Nigerian and common law, statements that have been retracted cannot later be used to prove the truth of an allegation.
Mr. Omokri also said he formally recognised Mr. Tinubu as president on inauguration day in May 2023, urged Nigerians to support him, and publicly apologised on several national television programmes. He added that he privately apologised to Mr. Tinubu in October 2024.
Reaffirming his position, Mr. Omokri said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not, has never been, and will never be a drug lord,” and said he is willing to testify under oath.
The trial, in which Mr. Sowore faces charges related to alleged cybercrime, was adjourned until February 4 for continuation.
