An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Denge Josef Onoh, has urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to deny security clearance to ambassadorial nominee Reno Omokri, arguing that his approval could pose a threat to national security and disrupt an ongoing treasonable felony investigation.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Onoh warned that approving Omokri, who is currently undergoing DSS vetting, would have “serious and unnecessary repercussions” for both the agency and the nation.
Onoh maintained that Omokri’s previous public accusations against President Bola Tinubu were far more severe than those made by activist Omoyele Sowore, who is currently 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 he vowed to reveal in court.
He argued that granting Omokri clearance would contradict the basis of the ongoing prosecution against Sowore:
“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.
Referencing Section 172 of the Constitution, which stipulates that ambassadors must be individuals of proven integrity, Onoh warned that granting clearance could undermine the DSS’s credibility and expose the country to diplomatic embarrassment, claiming some foreign missions are already uncomfortable with the nomination.
He concluded by cautioning against the ripple effects:
“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.
