Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has weighed in on the political dynamics that brought Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015, insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s support was the game-changer. Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday, Omokri dismissed claims by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who had suggested Buhari never needed Tinubu to win the presidency.
Omokri described Mustapha’s statement as “silly,” accusing him of trying to stir division between Buhari and Tinubu. “Let’s be honest,” Omokri said, “Buhari had his consistent 12 million votes since 2003 — and still lost. It wasn’t until Tinubu brought in the South-West votes that the tide turned in his favour.”
He explained that Nigeria’s political architecture, shaped since the Obasanjo-era Constituent Assembly, makes it almost impossible for any ethnic stronghold to win the presidency on its own. “The system was designed to promote national consensus. Buhari could have dominated the North, but without Southern support — particularly from Tinubu and the South-West — he would never have emerged president,” he said.
Omokri argued that, without Tinubu, Nigeria’s political trajectory would have taken a different path. “Jonathan would have remained president, and Buhari? He would’ve been a forgotten figure — a tiny dot in Nigeria’s political circle.”
His remarks serve as a reminder of the intricate alliances that shape power in Nigeria — and how history can pivot on unlikely partnerships.
