Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide, says he is supporting President Bola Tinubu because he is delivering results the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had promised Nigerians while in power.
Omokri is responding to comments against him by Paul Ibe, a media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Ibe, had in a post shared via X, accused Omokri of being an “opportunist and treachery” in his dealings with Atiku.
He also accused Omokri of playing the role of a “political wife” to President Bola Tinubu, while simultaneously acting as a “side chick” to Atiku.
However, in his response contained in an opinion article, Omokri said there is no need for Atiku’s media team to fight someone like him who has “utmost respect” for the former vice-president.
Omokri aide said he is supporting Tinubu for doing what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) promised to do and noted that there is little or no ideological difference between Atiku and president since they were previously in the same political parties.
“Yes, I support President Bola Tinubu and forcefully so because he is delivering the results we in the Peoples Democratic Party said we were going to achieve; fuel subsidy removal, Naira floatation, devolution of power, and loans to students,” Omokri said.
“Our goal is Nigeria’s progress. When the incumbent President is meeting that purpose, then, in my judgment, those who share a vision for Nigeria’s achievable greatness should support such a leader.
“It does not matter if the cat is Black or White, as long as it catches mice, and it matters not if the party in power is APC or PDP, as long as it delivers progress for the Nigerian nation.
“In case Nigerians have forgotten, the APC is not an ideologically driven party. It is a coalition. The ideologically driven parties were the legacy parties, including the ACN, CPC, ANPP, and nPDP.
“To show how congruent Waziri Atiku Abubakar’s political and economic ideology is with the ACN founded by Asiwaju Tinubu, one only needs to be reminded that he was their Presidential candidate in 2007, when ACN was known as AC.
“Regarding ideology, President Bola Tinubu and Waziri Atiku are both of the 1989 Social Democratic Party stock, and there is little or no difference between them.
“There are multiple precedents for moving political support from one bloc to another based on Nigeria’s best interest.
“In 2014, major political stakeholders who had previously supported President Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party felt that a realignment with General Muhammadu Buhari and the then-burgeoning All Progressives Congress (APC) was the best alternative for the country.
“In the course of working to actualise the vision of Waziri Atiku Abubakar, I have never betrayed confidential information and do not have any plans for such in the future.
“Despite what happened after 2023, nobody can say I have attempted to profit privately or publicly from such confidences, whether politically or economically. And I never will.
“Additionally, I have refrained from crossing swords with those around Waziri Atiku Abubakar, some of whom I recruited. Which is why I find it odd that they would do so to me.
“Waziri Atiku Abubakar may want to think about the quality of media people he engages if they fight people who do not fight him.
“To therefore attack me, when I have never even as much as said one negative word about Waziri or his immediate coterie, is most unkind. Nevertheless, I will not respond in kind.
“Waziri Atiku Abubakar has been good to me, and I will still be true to the friendship that led to the confidence he reposes in me.”(The Cable)
