Jonathan’s aide, Omokri under attack for saying Buhari for Muslims, Osinbajo for Christians
Nigerians have come hard on Reno Omokri, a former New Media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for allegedly working tirelessly to divide Nigeria along religious lines. Youths who attacked Omokri on Twitter said he was trying to ignite a civil war in Nigeria while living in California with his family.
Omokri had written on his official Twitter page that President Muhammadu Buhari is for the Muslims while Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was for Christians. The comment sparked an outrage as he was accused of trying to turn the country’s dominant religions against each other. Omokri had also claimed that President Buhari made efforts for the release of Zainab Aliyu, who was wrongly accused to have transported Tramadol to Saudi Arabia, because she was a Muslim while Leah Sharibu, a Christian who was abducted by Boko Haram terrorists, was still in captivity. Reacting to his claims, James Sunday Akinloye said Omokri was suffering from a self-induced post election traumatic stress disorder and that he needs to see a doctor. He tweeted, “I must tell you that those who listen and follow Omokri are merely doing so to be entertained. We know Mr. Omokri don’t mean well for Nigeria. He only wants to ruffle things up so that the unsuspecting can ignite a violence in our country. He has forgotten so quickly that over 200 school girls were abducted during the Jonathan government and it took Buhari/Osinbajo to reunite most of them with their families. He added that Mr. Omokri’s attempt to draw comparison between legitimate government and a terrorist sect was baseless to say the least. He urged Nigerians to steer clear of Omokri and his ilk.
Also reacting on Twitter, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who is the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Relations and Diaspora, said it’s not true that the Federal Government wasn’t working to have Leah Sharibu released. Leah’s case is different. She is held captive by terrorists. The Buhari administration is not leaving any stone unturned to get her back. We are optimistic she will return,” she said. Similarly, another Twitter user, Bernard Okri, pointed out that both the President and Vice President do not represent the interest of any religious groups as they were both elected by Muslims and Christians. It’s petty that Mr. Omokri is trying to draw a religious divide in Nigeria just because he wants the country to burn. Nigerians should be weary of him and those who reside in the United States but are strategising to make Nigeria burn,” he said. He also shamed Omokri for trying to draw Kiki Osinbajo, the daughter of the Vice President into the matter. “Mr. Omokri claims that he wants Ms. Sharibu rescued are lies. He takes pictures and brandishes the good life he is living but will never return to Nigeria to help free Leah Sharibu.