Reno Omokri, the ambassador of Nigeria to Mexico, has called the coalition formed by opposition political parties in advance of the January 2027 presidential election “dead on arrival”.
According to Omokri, the coalition would fail because the opposition’s top presidential candidates would not be prepared to give up their personal goals at this point in the political process.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the City Boy Movement Media One-on-One with Otega Ogra, Omokri claimed that the expected opposition alliance would eventually fall apart over leadership and candidature and that former vice president Atiku Abubakar and former governor of Anambra State Peter Obi would not agree on who should give up his presidential ambition for the other.
According to Omokri, the members of the opposition coalition had powerful egos and political aspirations that would make it difficult for them to make the concessions necessary for a successful coalition.
“It’s not going to happen because the opposition members have very big egos,” he declared.
In actuality, Peter Obi has a bigger ego than Waziri Atiku Abubakar. It’s simply that Peter Obi struggles with self-worth, which allows him to conceal his enormous ego.”
“Waziri Atiku Abubakar will not be replaced by Peter Obi. Peter Obi will not be replaced by Waziri Atiku Abubakar. None of those individuals will resign in favour of the other. Thus, when it arrives, it is dead.
Omokri predicted that although discussions around an alliance could continue, the principal actors might eventually keep their distance from negotiations once the difficult question of who becomes the presidential candidate arises.
He said, “In fact, let me tell you what is going to happen. They will have that meeting. They will send representatives. The big fish themselves will not even go.
On what might happen if the opposition eventually succeeded in forming the coalition, Omokri maintained that he did not consider the possibility realistic, saying, “I’m not going to spend my intellectual prowess discussing what’s not going to happen.”
President Bola Tinubu would be re-elected in 2027, basing his projection partly on the president’s expanding political support among governors.
Omokri claimed Tinubu won in 2023 under considerably more difficult circumstances than he was likely to face in the next election.
He stated, “You know, the best predictor of future events is past events. If this man won an election when he had, I think, just 19 governors, maybe probably 20 governors, the central bank moved against him, and then he had a lot of things going against him, and he won, how much so now that he has probably over 30 governors? I mean, he is going to win the election.
He also cited improving macroeconomic indicators, including economic expansion and GDP growth outpacing population growth, as factors that could strengthen Tinubu’s re-election prospect.
Omokri said, “The economy has added $67 billion in two years. Our GDP is now growing faster than our population.
He stated that some critics of the administration were already acknowledging improvements in macroeconomic stability, predicting that opposition figures should prepare for another four years outside government.
“What they are preparing for right now is four more years of opposition, of activism,” he said.
On security, Omokri said Nigeria had recorded progress under Tinubu, contrasting the current situation with major attacks recorded during the Muhammadu Buhari administration, including the 2022 Kuje prison attack, the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, and assaults on military facilities. Africans & Diaspora.
He said several wanted terrorist and bandit commanders had either been killed, arrested, or prosecuted under the present administration, while improvements had also been recorded in measures against terrorism financing.
“There is progress in Nigeria,” he said. Many advancements have been made, but this is only because our people are highly sensitive and have short memories. You’ll notice that security has improved if you concentrate on the facts, which are unchangeable.
Additionally, Omokri defended the government’s economic reforms, claiming that better business conditions and simpler access to foreign exchange are promoting private sector activity.
He urged young Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities in manufacturing, tourism, transportation, and small businesses, saying that the government should focus on creating an environment for employment rather than directly providing jobs.
Additionally, Omokri vehemently defended Tinubu’s prior personal records, stating unequivocally that he has no criminal history with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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