A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has taken a swipe at the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over allegations that President Bola Tinubu has neglected his duties by remaining abroad for extended periods.
Omokri’s rebuke came after Obi, in a post on his verified X account on Monday, queried the President’s location and accused him of abandoning governance through his prolonged foreign stay.
In his response posted on X, Omokri accused Obi of intentionally spreading falsehoods, maintaining that the Presidency had been transparent about Tinubu’s whereabouts and engagements.
“I read your most recent attack on the President, and it was a new low, even for you, and grossly irresponsible. Saying that nobody knows where the President is is a lie. You, and every other Nigerian who follows the news, know precisely where President Bola Tinubu is, because the Presidency was open and transparent about it,” he stated.
Omokri revealed that Tinubu is presently in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, participating in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, information he said had been made public by the Presidency.
He further dismissed Obi’s assertion that Nigerians had not heard from the President since December 2025, describing the claim as outright falsehood.
The former presidential aide recalled that Tinubu delivered a New Year’s Day address to the nation and had undertaken various public duties in late December 2025.
“Before that, the President visited Nigerian citizens in Borno, Bauchi and Lagos states between December 21 and December 23, 2025,” he noted.
He explained that during the Borno visit, Tinubu attended the wedding ceremony of Sadeeq Sheriff, son of former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, in Maiduguri.
Omokri added that the President also travelled to Bauchi State to commiserate with the family of late Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, before proceeding to Lagos for interactions with residents.
“After that, he went on a short vacation as allowed by the Constitution,” Omokri stated.
He argued that characterising these activities as abandonment of duty was dishonest.
Addressing Tinubu’s regular international travels, Omokri said Obi’s criticism revealed ignorance of governance principles and diplomatic relations.
“Your mentor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, spent 342 days travelling abroad in eight years, yet you celebrate him. That is one whole year out of eight years! Mind you, this was during the time of the Sharia Crisis and the Niger-Delta Militancy,” Omokri wrote.
He noted that those trips facilitated Nigeria’s debt relief.
He contended that no president could attract foreign capital by remaining within national borders, stressing that Tinubu’s international engagements were already producing tangible outcomes.
Omokri referenced Tinubu’s participation at the BRICS Summit in Brazil, which he said secured a $2.5 billion investment commitment from Brazilian meat producer, JBS.
He also highlighted the President’s Qatar trip, where investors reportedly committed $300 billion in investments to Nigeria.
According to him, these diplomatic activities have contributed to Nigeria’s economic expansion, including growth in the nation’s GDP from ₦269.29 trillion in May 2023 to ₦372.8 trillion, alongside increased foreign portfolio investments approaching $14 billion between the first and third quarters of 2025.
“All of these saw Nigeria recording a projected GDP growth of 4.1 per cent in 2025,” Omokri added.
He wrapped up by suggesting Obi’s statements demonstrated his unsuitability for leading a nation as diverse as Nigeria.
“That you do not know this is proof, once again, that you are a trader, not a leader, and you are better off operating a stall at Onitsha Market than leading a country as complex as Nigeria!” he declared.