Reno Omokri, a former aide to the Nigerian president, has publicly mocked Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, and Nasir El-Rufai, the ex-governor of Kaduna State, over their parties’ losses in Saturday’s bye-elections.
In a post on X, Omokri pointed out that neither Obi nor El-Rufai had yet recovered from their defeat to extend birthday wishes to former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, on his 84th birthday. He ridiculed the pair, suggesting they were still reeling from their loss, which he likened to the fictional cat and mouse duo, Tom and Jerry.
Omokri’s jibe aimed to highlight the pair’s sudden silence on an occasion they typically acknowledged. He implied that the loss had dealt a significant blow to the duo, rendering them unable to even offer birthday greetings to the former head of state.
Furthermore, Omokri warned that once the pair had regained their footing, Nigerians should anticipate allegations of election rigging from both Obi and El-Rufai. This claim may indicate a deeper issue within Nigeria’s electoral system or merely represent a tactical maneuver by the pair to mitigate their losses.
The mocking by Omokri highlights a bigger concern – that the country’s politics remains fiercely competitive, with elections serving as intense power struggles. With allegations of rigging set to surface, it is likely that the bye-elections’ aftermath will see heightened tensions between rival parties.
While some view Omokri’s jibe as a form of provocation, others see it as a case of the former aide exercising his right to express himself on the political landscape. However, all eyes will now be on Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai, as Nigerians await their response and potentially, more claims of electoral irregularities.
The exchange has, once again, turned the spotlight on Nigeria’s volatile electoral scene and, with ongoing fears of vote tampering and allegations of rigging continuing to dominate the narrative, it remains unclear how the country’s democratic processes will evolve in the face of these persistent issues.
