Political commentator and former presidential aide Reno Omokri has rejected claims by Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, that President Bola Tinubu is using mystical powers to build political support.
He argued instead that the President’s expanding influence is rooted in economic results and improved security.
Writing on his verified X account on Sunday, Omokri criticised Momodu’s earlier remarks suggesting that governors defecting to or aligning with the All Progressives Congress were motivated by “Jazz,” a colloquial term for mystical manipulation. He also condemned Momodu’s assertion that Tinubu’s administration had recorded “abysmal failures in all ramifications.”
On the economy, Omokri said Tinubu’s record contradicts claims of poor performance, noting that Nigeria’s balance of trade has remained positive since the President took office.
“In just two years, President Tinubu added $67 billion to Nigeria’s GDP, moving us from a ₦269.29 trillion economy on May 29, 2023, when he became President, to ₦372.8 trillion today. Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, Nigeria has not experienced even one quarter of a trade deficit, and Nigeria has experienced ten consecutive quarters of trade SURPLUSES,” he wrote, listing quarterly surpluses from Q3 2023 through Q3 2025.
“In the first nine months of 2025, Nigeria recorded a trade surplus of $10.83 billion, with exports of $44.06 billion outpacing imports of $33.23 billion.”
He added that GDP growth reached 3.40 per cent in 2024 and 3.87 per cent in 2025, while both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund projected 4.4 per cent growth for 2026. He also linked improved federal allocations to states to Tinubu’s reforms.
Omokri added, “In 2022, Edo State received only ₦87.50 billion from the federation account. However, in the first eight months of 2025 alone, Edo State received ₦176.63 billion from the federation account. It is this strong economic performance, rather than Jazz, that has led almost all of Nigeria’s 36 governors to align with President Tinubu.”
Referencing manufacturing, fuel supply and capital market growth, he wrote, “Under Tinubu, according to the World Bank, Nigeria now has the second-largest manufacturing base in Africa.” He added, “We have moved from being the top petrol importer in Africa in 2023 to being the number one fuel exporter in West Africa in 2026,” and noted that “the total market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange stood at ₦27.915 trillion on December 30, 2022. Today, it is ₦122 trillion.” He also said foreign reserves had “surged to a 13-year high of $50.45 billion as of the end of February 2026.”
On inflation and fuel prices, Omokri wrote, “In May 2023, Nigeria’s headline inflation rate was 22.41%. As of today, our food inflation rate is in single digits at 8.89%,” adding that petrol prices fell “more than three times” in 2025 and that fuel queues had disappeared.
Turning to security, Omokri contrasted the current situation with developments between 2016 and 2023, including renewed militancy in the Niger Delta, attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers, and disruptions linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra.
“Today, both regions are calm. Piracy has ebbed and is almost nonexistent. Oil production is at a ten-year high,” he wrote, adding that Nigeria exceeded its OPEC quota in 2025 for three consecutive months, producing an average of 1.71 million barrels per day.
He further stated that nearly all of the more than 100 police stations closed during unrest in the South-East have reopened and added that Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa have been convicted of terrorism and are imprisoned.
Omokri also recalled past attacks on the Abuja–Kaduna corridor, the Kuje prison break, and assaults on security formations, asserting that such incidents are no longer occurring. He said Abuja is now safe and that while insecurity persists, it has significantly reduced and become localised.
He concluded by challenging Momodu’s criticism, writing, “So, how is it possible that with all of the above economic exploits, you, Dele Momodu, a supposed intellectual, claim that President Tinubu is an ‘abysmal failure’ on the economy?”
NEWSCLICKNG Online reports that in the early hours of Sunday, Momodu intensified his criticism of Tinubu’s administration, warning that Nigerians were “voluntarily walking into slavery” and embracing what he described as creeping authoritarianism.
Writing on his verified X account, Momodu expressed shock at what he described as public complacency in the face of alleged governance failures. He referenced Nigeria’s struggle against military dictatorship, warning that the country risks sliding back into a system where leaders operate without accountability.
“I’m shocked that many Nigerians are voluntarily walking into slavery, and, excitedly, embracing servitude. We seem to have forgotten the battle we fought against military dictatorship and those tyrannical leaders, not too long ago. It is befuddling how we can open our eyes wide open and not understand a simple reality, that tyrants only exist for themselves, family and cronies,” he wrote.
Momodu also warned against “messianic posturing” in leadership, suggesting it often leads to a “God complex.” He argued that Nigeria is nearing a critical threshold and alleged that the President is unwilling to tolerate political competition ahead of the 2027 elections.
“And whenever they add messianic posturing to it, they usually assume the God complex. Nigeria is at that threshold now, and only God can liberate us. There’s no doubt that President Tinubu is not willing to entertain any competition in 2027. He expects full endorsement despite abysmal failures in all ramifications,” Momodu stated.
He rated the administration poorly across key governance indices, writing: “Budgets, nil. Security, nil. Propaganda. When tomorrow comes, let no one say we were not forewarned. Mine is not a political statement but a humble and visionary message borne out of fervent patriotism. NIGERIA desperately needs a rescue.”
Momodu’s remarks prompted Omokri’s detailed rebuttal defending the administration’s economic and security record.
