Reno Omokri’s hypocrisy: How Nigeria’s self-styled patriot turns truth into political propaganda.

Reno Omokri’s latest commentary on Senator Ted Cruz’s claim of religious persecution in Nigeria attempts to sound rational and patriotic. But scratch the surface, and you’ll find a predictable pattern of selective outrage, intellectual dishonesty, and political gaslighting aimed at protecting his preferred power bloc.

False equivalence and historical laziness

Let’s be clear: nobody disputes that Nigeria once had both a Christian Head of State and a Christian Deputy, in the persons of General Yakubu Gowon and Vice Admiral Edet Wey. But to invoke that as a moral or political defence for the current administration’s imbalance is a false equivalence. Gowon’s era (1966–1975) was a military dictatorship, not a democratic dispensation based on popular votes or religious balancing. Using that as justification for today’s context is not only misleading, it’s historically lazy.

Deflecting responsibility with institutional semantics

Omokri argues that Peter Obi and his supporters should “understand” that professional control of Nigeria’s armed forces lies with the Chief of Defence Staff, a Christian. Yet, this conveniently ignores the institutional reality that real authority, appointments, and strategic direction emanate from the Commander-in-Chief, the President. Pretending otherwise insults the intelligence of Nigerians. If Chiefs of Defence or Army Staff wielded true autonomous power, then why do these positions change whenever a new President assumes office?

Reno Omokri’s convenient amnesia

When it comes to hypocrisy, Omokri’s record speaks volumes. He once criticized the Buhari administration for the same religious and regional imbalance he now defends under Tinubu. The same Reno Omokri who spoke passionately about the persecution of Christians under Buhari now trivializes it when raised by others, simply because it doesn’t serve his current political interest. This selective morality is the very definition of intellectual dishonesty.

Weaponizing timing and deflection

It’s also curious that Omokri dismisses the timing of Peter Obi’s Washington meetings as somehow suspicious as though global advocacy for justice and human rights must first be cleared by Nigeria’s political class. If Senator Ted Cruz or any international figure raises human rights concerns, the responsible response from Omokri should be an evidence-based rebuttal, not deflection and character assassination.

Patriotism or political servitude?

Nigeria’s real problem is not that Peter Obi spoke or that Ted Cruz listened, it’s that figures like Reno Omokri have turned national issues into tribal and partisan chess games. When truth becomes conditional, integrity dies.

In the end, Reno Omokri’s statement reveals more about his political servitude than his supposed patriotism. He’s not defending Nigeria; he’s defending relevance. And that’s the tragedy of our national discourse when the loudest voices are often the most compromised.