Tinubu Speech Controversy: Reno Omokri Fires Back at Critics, Cites Live TV Footage

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has challenged claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s speech at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council was pre-recorded, pointing to television coverage and footage he said showed the President delivering the address at the event.

Omokri argued that the presence of journalists, reported live broadcasts and footage showing Tinubu moving to the podium contradicted suggestions that the speech had been recorded before the inauguration.

The controversy followed questions raised by human rights lawyer Chidi Odinkalu, who expressed doubts about the circumstances surrounding the President’s appearance in the video of the event. Odinkalu questioned the camera work and transitions in the footage and called for additional recordings to establish what happened at the venue.

Responding to the allegation, Omokri cited coverage by television stations, including Arise Television, as part of his argument that Tinubu attended the inauguration and delivered his address in person.

According to Omokri, the footage showed Tinubu rising from his seat in the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, walking to the presidential podium bearing the Coat of Arms and delivering his speech as cameras followed his movements.

He also pointed to shots showing the President’s empty seat after he stood up, different camera angles capturing him at the podium and footage of his interactions with attendees.

READ ALSO:

• ₦200m Fake Alcohol Packaging Uncovered as NAFDAC Raids Aba Market
• ₦130m Toyota Tundra Wrecked: Lagos Dealer Questions Police Over Suspect’s Release
• Fani-Kayode Counters Keyamo, Defends Atiku Over Nigeria Airways Collapse

Omokri further referred to exchanges involving Tinubu and some participants, including Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, whom he identified as the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council.

The former presidential aide maintained that these details undermined the allegation that the President’s address had been pre-recorded. However, his arguments about the footage should be distinguished from independently established facts about the event.

In a separate report published on October 15, 2026, Premium Times said it had independently confirmed that Tinubu was physically present at the inauguration. The report provided an additional basis for assessing claims about the President’s attendance, beyond Omokri’s response.

Odinkalu’s concerns centred on what he described as unusual transitions and production-style camera work in the video. He challenged the organisers to release footage showing Tinubu walking to the podium and a wide-angle view of the hall to help clarify the circumstances surrounding the address.

The competing accounts have made the original footage central to the dispute. While evidence of Tinubu’s physical presence would challenge claims that he was absent from the venue, questions about how the address was recorded, edited and broadcast must be assessed against the available footage and other verifiable evidence.

Omokri also criticised those questioning the speech, arguing that critics of the administration should focus on examining the substance of Tinubu’s address rather than disputing whether it was delivered live.

He described the speech as well received and said it highlighted the administration’s economic performance and achievements.

According to Omokri, Tinubu used the occasion to discuss Nigeria’s economic performance, including claims of sustained gross domestic product (GDP) growth above four per cent, 14 consecutive cycles of trade surpluses and Nigeria’s contribution to global economic growth in 2025.

Omokri also referred to claims about the performance of the Nigerian stock market, which he said had been described as the most profitable in the world, citing Bloomberg.

These economic figures and assessments were presented as part of Omokri’s defence of the President’s address. They require separate examination against the relevant economic data and reporting and should not be treated as independently verified merely because they were cited in the political exchange.

The former presidential aide argued that opposition figures should scrutinise the administration’s economic claims and present alternative assessments of its performance rather than focus on the recording controversy.

He accused critics of failing to provide what he considered a substantive response to the President’s address and described the pre-recording allegation as disappointing.

The dispute has brought renewed attention to Tinubu’s APC campaign council inauguration, the circumstances surrounding his address and the wider political debate over the administration’s record.