El-Rufai labels Reno Omokri a ‘political mercenary’

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has labeled Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, as a “political mercenary” willing to work for anyone willing to pay.

Taking to his X handle on Monday, El-Rufai criticized Omokri over comments suggesting he was frustrated after being excluded from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

Omokri had tweeted on Sunday, accusing El-Rufai of hypocrisy for questioning the Federal Government’s funding of a rail project in Lagos, despite supporting similar projects under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He referenced a $2 billion railway project in Niger Republic during Buhari’s administration and challenged El-Rufai’s silence at the time.

Omokri wrote:
“Under Buhari, Nigeria took out a $2 billion loan to build a railway in Niger Republic. Did el-Rufai complain, then? Not at all! Today, that same Niger is now hostile towards Nigeria. If we can build a railway worth $2 billion for a foreign country, why shouldn’t the Federal Government contribute towards building a railway in Lagos State?”

He further highlighted Jonathan’s administration’s $1.2 billion Abuja-Kaduna rail project, questioning El-Rufai’s stance on such investments.

El-Rufai, visibly irked by the remarks, reminded the public of past allegations of identity theft involving Omokri. He referred to claims that Omokri, under the pseudonym “Wendell Simlin,” attempted to link former Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi to Boko Haram.

Posting on X, El-Rufai shared images of Omokri protesting against Tinubu’s election and remarked:
“The interesting life cycle of Wendell Simlin, also sometimes retained as a political mercenary by any person or government that can pay.”

https://x.com/elrufai/status/1873674409921458525?t=cMHcWHVeMRA-OmzofNmRlw&s=19

The exchange has stirred political debates, with some All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains interpreting El-Rufai’s comments as indirect criticism of Tinubu’s administration. As of now, both political figures remain firm in their positions, keeping the political discourse alive.