Nigeria's ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has asserted that every presidential candidate likely to contest the 2027 general elections holds a record with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), emphasizing that such a record is not equivalent to a criminal record. Omokri made this claim during an appearance on the City Boy Movement Podcast, where he addressed documents linked to President Bola Tinubu and urged Nigerians to distinguish between an FBI record and proof of criminal conduct, accusing critics of deliberately blurring this line to mislead the public.
Omokri's Defense of Tinubu and Challenge to Obi
"Having an FBI record does not amount to having a criminal record," Omokri said, insisting his position was based on fact rather than opinion. Beyond defending Tinubu, Omokri turned his attention to Peter Obi, who resigned from the African Democratic Congress on May 2, 2026, and was ratified as the presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC) on May 29, 2026, for the 2027 elections.
Omokri alleged that Obi also held records with the FBI, referencing what he described as an indictment tied to allegations of money laundering and tax evasion. He was quick to note, however, that an indictment is not equivalent to a criminal conviction. On that basis, Omokri challenged Obi to make his own records public before calling on Tinubu to release his FBI documents, arguing it would be inconsistent for Obi to demand transparency from Tinubu while keeping his own records out of public view.
Background to the FBI Records Debate
Questions around Tinubu's records with American authorities have surfaced repeatedly in Nigerian political discourse, particularly since the 2023 presidential campaign. Critics have pointed to documents from the United States as grounds for concern about the president's past, while supporters have consistently maintained that those documents do not establish any criminal wrongdoing. Omokri's latest comments add to that ongoing debate ahead of what is shaping up to be a highly contested 2027 presidential race.
See the video of Reno Omokri's interview on X here: FBI document shows Tinubu's date of birth. Legit.ng earlier reported that a 2003 letter from a US Embassy legal attaché addressed Bola Tinubu's criminal records after an inquiry from Nigeria's then Inspector General of Police. The FBI's National Crime Information Centre returned no criminal arrest records, wants, or warrants for Tinubu under the date of birth listed in the document.
Activist Reno Omokri shared the document on X, drawing attention to the date of birth recorded for President Tinubu. The debate over FBI records is expected to intensify as the 2027 election cycle progresses, with candidates and their supporters likely to continue scrutinizing each other's backgrounds.
