Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has stirred controversy by releasing an email he claims proves his role in selecting Peter Obi as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar during the 2019 presidential election.
Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, shared the email on his social media account on Sunday. The message, dated October 8, 2018, was allegedly sent by Peter Obi, containing his resume, four days before he was officially announced as Atiku’s running mate on October 12.
In his post, Omokri insisted he only published the email to defend himself after being called a liar by a supporter of Obi on a podcast. He further warned that he has more “damning evidence” to release if Obi or his supporters deny the authenticity of the document.
“My only motive is to prove I did not lie,” Omokri stated. “If this email is fake or AI-generated, I challenge Mr. Obi to deny it. I will publish more if necessary.”
Omokri previously claimed he played a key role in “packaging” Peter Obi for the role, a claim that was denied by members of the Obidient Movement, a group of Obi’s loyal supporters.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Peter Obi nor his media team has responded to the new evidence. It will be recalled that in the 2019 presidential election, Atiku and Obi ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but lost to then-President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The latest development is likely to spark more debate ahead of future political contests, as tensions continue between rival political camps from the 2023 general elections.