By Kazeem Ugbodaga
A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has launched a scathing attack on former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, accusing him of politicising the recent massacre in Yelewata, Benue State, while ignoring violent incidents in his own region.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday morning, Omokri defended President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State following the deadly attack in Yelewata, and criticised Obi’s continued condemnation of the president’s actions.
“Peter Obi, President Tinubu’s monitoring spirit and content creator colleague of Peller and Jarvis, has continued criticising the President over his visit to Benue,” Omokri wrote.
“Yet, just yesterday, four people were killed in cult-related violence in Anambra. Has Obi said a word? No.”
Omokri accused Obi of double standards, arguing that his silence on insecurity in Anambra, including during his own tenure, undermined his moral authority to criticise the President’s approach to national tragedies.
“Obi is more interested in politicising suffering,” Omokri stated, adding that “When Awkuzu SARS allegedly dumped bodies in the Ezu River under his watch, did he visit even one grieving parent? But he’s the loudest voice now that Tinubu visited Benue.”
The criticism comes after Peter Obi questioned the effectiveness of President Tinubu’s trip to Benue, particularly his decision to hold a town hall in Makurdi rather than travel to the exact scene of the massacre in Yelewata.
Omokri, however, argued that Tinubu visited displaced victims who had been relocated to Makurdi and surrounding areas for safety and treatment.
“It is not the town but the people who matter. The residents of Yelewata were moved to Makurdi. That is where the President went to see them,” he wrote.
Drawing parallels with the 2023 leaked “Yes Daddy” audio, Omokri accused Obi of stoking ethnic and religious tensions, stating: “These killers are bent on ethnic war. But is that not what Peter Obi threatened in his infamous audio?”
Omokri concluded with a controversial jab: “No wonder he is deservedly called Agbotikuyo: one who rejoices at the death of others.”
