”This Statement Was Made In 2018 –Omokri Reacts To Trending Video Of Obasanjo Saying BAT Has Failed

Reno Omokri, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico, has challenged a widely shared video of former President Olusegun Obasanjo condemning the Federal Government, maintaining that the footage dates back several years and had nothing to do with President Bola Tinubu.

The clarification followed a post by a social media user, JoySuxec, who shared the clip with a caption suggesting Obasanjo had described Tinubu as a failed leader whose poor performance was driving businesses out of existence. The caption also called on Nigerians to prevent the president from securing a second term in the 2027 election.

Omokri rejected that interpretation, saying the video had been recirculated without its original context. In his words, “This statement was made in 2018,” during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, and Obasanjo has never made such remarks about the current administration.

He said the comments were delivered on Monday, April 2, 2018, when the former president was openly critical of the Buhari government. Omokri stated that at no point has Obasanjo directed those remarks at Tinubu’s administration. The ambassador also spoke up for the present government, claiming the economy has recorded growth above four per cent consistently since Tinubu took office.

Omokri advised social media users to pay attention to Obasanjo’s physical appearance in the footage, arguing that it plainly shows the video was recorded a long time ago and has simply been recycled for current political purposes.

In support of his position, he provided a link to a Punch newspaper report covering Obasanjo’s 2018 criticism of the Buhari administration, so that interested Nigerians could confirm the original source of the video.

The episode highlights how recycled media can be used to shape political narratives, and it underscores the need for social media users to verify the date and context of viral content before sharing it widely.