An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Denge Josef Onoh, has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to withhold security clearance for Reno Omokri, warning that granting it could endanger national security and interfere with an ongoing treasonable felony case.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Onoh cautioned that approving Omokri, who is currently undergoing DSS vetting as an ambassadorial nominee, would have “serious and unnecessary repercussions” for both the agency and the nation.
He maintained that Omokri’s previous public accusations against President Bola Tinubu were far more severe than those made by activist Omoyele Sowore, who is facing prosecution on charges including treasonable felony for repeatedly referring to the President as “a criminal.”
Onoh said Omokri went “significantly further” between 2022 and 2024 when he repeatedly described the President as “a drug baron” and claimed to possess documentary evidence that he vowed to reveal in court.
He said granting the former presidential aide security clearance would contradict the basis of the ongoing prosecution against Sowore and strengthen arguments of selective justice.
“Clearing Omokri sends the message that calling the President a ‘drug baron’ is compatible with high diplomatic office, while someone who made a less detailed allegation is in court,” Onoh said.
He cautioned that approving the clearance could undermine the DSS’s credibility and expose the country to diplomatic embarrassment, noting that some foreign missions are reportedly uncomfortable with Omokri’s nomination.
Referencing Section 172 of the Constitution which stipulates that ambassadors must be individuals of proven integrity.
Onoh warned that granting clearance could result in host countries rejecting Nigeria’s request for agrément and could attract negative international media attention.
“To clear him is to hand him a platform to claim vindication, collapse the treasonable felony case, and make Nigeria a laughing stock on the diplomatic stage,” he said.