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11 Days to Go: Countdown Begins for Osun Youth in Governance Conference 2026

 Oriontimes News Desk| April 14, 20246 With just 11 days left, anticipation is building across Osun State as the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Osun State Chapter, intensifies preparations for the highly anticipated Youth in Governance Conference 2026. The countdown is no longer gradual, it is accelerating. Stakeholders, young leaders, and aspiring changemakers are being urged to seize the moment as registration remains open but limited. Organizers describe the conference as more than just a gathering. It is a platform where ideas are expected to evolve into tangible action, where emerging voices will be amplified, and where the future of governance in Osun and beyond will be actively shaped. “This is where conversations turn into action, where young leaders step forward, and where the future is not merely discussed but decided,” a statement from the council emphasized. The event is scheduled to hold on April 25, 2026, at 9:00 AM, at the Osogbo Grammar School Conference ...
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Tinubu Turns Critics to Diplomats: Who Will Be the Next Reno Omokri?

 

By Abioye Tosin Lawrence 



In a move that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s political landscape, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, a list packed with political heavyweights, power brokers, and unexpected names.


Among them is Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide who famously led a fierce diaspora campaign against Tinubu during the 2023 elections, repeatedly labeling him unfit for office and accusing him of criminal ties.


Today, that same critic is on the verge of becoming a diplomatic representative of the very government he once fought against.



High-Profile Names on Tinubu’s Ambassadorial List


The nominees include:


Reno Omokri, Former presidential aide and one of Tinubu’s strongest critics


Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, Immediate past INEC Chairman


Femi Fani-Kayode, Former Aviation Minister


Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Former Governor of Enugu State


Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, Former Governor of Abia State


Angela Adebayo, Former First Lady of Ekiti State


Florence Ajimobi,  Former First Lady of Oyo State


Grace Bent, Former Senator


Femi Pedro, Former Lagos Deputy Governor


Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Lawmaker from Ondo State




With nominees drawn from diverse political camps, Tinubu’s selections appear deliberate, merging opposition voices, former rivals, loyalists, and technocrats under one diplomatic umbrella.


Reno Omokri: From Opponent to Ambassadorial Nominee


Reno Omokri’s inclusion stands out as the most symbolic.

During the election season, he:


Led anti-Tinubu protests in the diaspora


Repeatedly accused the President of corruption


Campaigned aggressively for opposition candidates


Used social media to attack Tinubu’s credibility



Yet politics, especially in Nigeria, is not guided by emotion but strategy.


In appointing Omokri, Tinubu sends a clear message:

In politics, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.





The Nigerian Political Cycle: Critics Today, Ambassadors Tomorrow


Tinubu’s political manoeuvre reveals a pattern Nigerians have watched for decades:


Criticize the system fiercely today


Negotiate tomorrow


Join the system the day after



Opposition figures often transform into allies once power dynamics shift and opportunities emerge. Reno Omokri is simply the latest example in a long cycle of political realignment.




Who Will Be the Next Reno Omokri?


This is now the question on the lips of many Nigerians.


If a frontline critic like Omokri can transition from public antagonist to potential ambassador, then:


Which current critic will soften tomorrow?


Who is waiting for an appointment after a season of condemnation?


Which popular online warrior will cross over when the political wind blows?



Tinubu’s nomination list has rewritten the script once again, reminding citizens that politics in Nigeria is not a battlefield of ideology but a marketplace of interests.


Nigerians are watching closely to see the next critic who might one day stand before the Senate, not as an antagonist, but as a nominee.

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