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.