Nigeria's Ambassador Designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has entered the debate over President Bola Tinubu's age by producing a decades-old photograph as his central argument. Omokri shared a throwback image of Tinubu alongside media personality Dele Momodu, said to have been taken in London in 1996. The ambassador stated clearly that the photograph had not been altered in any form, and pointed to Momodu's continued presence as someone who could personally verify its authenticity, date, and location.
Does Tinubu Look 60 in the Photo?
The thrust of Omokri's argument hinged on a simple question: if the president is truly 90 years old today, that would mean he was around 60 when the picture was taken three decades ago. He challenged Nigerians to look at the image and assess whether the man on the right appears to be in his sixties, or even his fifties.
To strengthen his case, Omokri referenced the late fuji musician Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, who was born on 9 February 1948 and publicly referred to Tinubu as his "Aburo," meaning younger brother, in a song. Omokri noted that both Tinubu and Momodu were known to have danced to that song, and pointed out that Barrister, if alive today, would have been 78 years old, making the timeline inconsistent with claims that Tinubu is a nonagenarian.
Omokri's Appeal to Momodu
Beyond the photograph, Omokri directed pointed remarks at Dele Momodu himself. He recalled that Momodu had, by his own account, received support from Tinubu during a period of exile under the late military ruler Sani Abacha. While making clear that Momodu has every right to back whichever political candidate he chooses, Omokri questioned whether it was morally defensible to stand by in silence while a former benefactor faces what he described as age-shaming.
Omokri argued that attaching false ages to public figures in order to cast doubt on their fitness for office drags Nigeria's political conversation to a damaging level. He called on Nigerians to redirect the election debate towards the real challenges facing the country and genuine ideas for solving them. The statement was signed in Omokri's full capacity as Ambassador Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
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