April 07, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide, has strongly criticized Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor, for labeling President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a “Yoruba-led Federal Government”.
Omokri described this characterization as a “new low” for El-Rufai, arguing that the claims are unfounded and misleading.
Omokri pointed out that only five out of twenty security and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria are headed by individuals from the Southwest, specifically of Lukumi Yoruba origin.
He emphasized that key revenue-generating agencies, such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Nigerian Ports Authority, are led by Northern Muslims.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, a crucial institution in Nigeria’s power structure, is also headed by a Northern Muslim.
“Calling the Tinubu-led government a ‘Yoruba-led administration’ is a new low, even for you,” Omokri said.
“Nobody, not even me, a major critic of the Buhari administration, called that government a ‘Fulani led’ or ‘Northern led’ government.”
Omokri accused El-Rufai of hypocrisy, noting that during the Buhari administration, key positions were held by individuals from the North, yet no one labeled it an “Arewa-led” Government.
He emphasized that President Tinubu’s Government is balanced, giving each zone its due representation.
“Flowing from the above, where is the Yorubanisation or Yorubacentricity?” Omokri queried.
“In the interest of Nigeria’s unity, we did not do what you are now doing, preferring to respectfully draw the then President’s attention to the marginalisation of the Southeast and calling on him to address it.
“And now, acting through a surrogate of yours, you are warning the Tinubu administration and describing it as a ‘Yoruba-led Federal Government’ just because you were not made a minister? “ He tweeted.
He warned that such claims, if left unchallenged, could create unnecessary tensions and destabilize market confidence.
