Nigeria's Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has said there is no criminal record from the Federal Bureau of Investigation linking President Bola Tinubu to criminality.
Omokri made the statement during the City Boy Movement Podcast anchored by O'tega Ogra on Tuesday in Abuja. He dismissed claims that records relating to Tinubu established criminality, saying a record should not automatically be interpreted as a criminal record.
"There is no criminal FBI record against President Bola Tinubu. There is nothing like that. A record is just that, a record; there is a difference between a record and a criminal record," he said.
He said his position was supported by a record check conducted following a request by Nigerian authorities.
According to him, the result of the check was negative for any criminal arrest records, warrants or wanted status for Bola Tinubu.
"So, there is no criminal FBI record against the President," Omokri said.
He said the records currently being discussed publicly originated from an earlier investigation and not a new case.
"There is no 2026 case. What happened is that a gentleman filed a Freedom of Information Act request. This is not a new case; it relates to a 1993 investigation," Omokri added.
The ambassador-designate said his position on Tinubu was shaped by personal investigations and willingness to reconsider claims when presented with verifiable evidence.
He recalled travelling to the United States to investigate claims concerning Tinubu's educational background, saying evidence obtained changed his earlier perception.
"I went to Chicago State University with a witness who is still a supporter of Atiku Abubakar. I was given incontrovertible evidence that Tinubu attended the school," he said.
Omokri also said certified documents relating to Tinubu's civil forfeiture case convinced him that some previous assertions about the President were incorrect.
"I was able to get certified true copies of these documents, and they established beyond reasonable doubt that I was wrong. This man was not who I thought he was," he said.
Omokri, who previously worked with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, said his support for Tinubu was based on facts and policy outcomes.
"I think that I will defend the truth, whether or not I am an ambassador or anything. Before the President appointed me, I was defending the truth," he said.
On the 2027 presidential election, Omokri said Tinubu's economic policies substantially reflected proposals he previously advocated while working with Atiku.
"If you read or listen to his speech at Chatham House, all of the things that we said we were going to do in the PDP are the things that the President is doing," he said.
He listed fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate reform, devolution of powers and student loans among policies he said were previously advocated.
"We said we were going to remove subsidies, float the naira, devolve power from the Federal Government to states and local governments, and finally give student loans," he said.
Omokri also defended fuel subsidy removal, arguing that restoring the policy would place financial pressure on Nigeria and could encourage petroleum products to flow into neighbouring countries.
He urged Nigerians to evaluate the administration through measurable outcomes rather than political sentiments.
"I am not an emotional person. I am a fact-driven person, and I believe Nigerians should also become more fact-driven," Omokri said.
He said his support for Tinubu did not mean abandoning his principles, maintaining that truth, patriotism and Nigeria's development remained paramount.
