‘You Can be Retained as Political Mercenary by Any Govt Capable of Paying,’ El-Rufai Fires Omokri

• A former governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday, December 30, criticised an erstwhile presidential social media aide, Reno Omokri
• Omokri had in a series of posts on his X and Facebook pages, berated El-Rufai over supposed negative remarks about President Bola Tinubu’s government
• El-Rufai became more forceful on Monday, December 30, shredding the diaspora-based social media personality

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics and governance.

Kaduna, Kaduna state – Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna, on Monday, December 30, labelled Reno Omokri “a political mercenary”.

El-Rufai said Omokri ‘is sometimes retained by a person or government that can pay’. Although a longtime supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Omokri presently supports the Bola Tinubu administration.

El-Rufai, Reno Omokri in online feud

The erstwhile governor knocked Omokri via a post on X (formerly Twitter) amid his online feud with the former social media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

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Legit.ng had reported how El-Rufai weighed in on Professor Farooq Kperogi’s recent article which claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is guilty of ethnic favouritism. El-Rufai seemingly aligned with the thoughts of the popular columnist.

Subsequently, Omokri waded in and described the allegation that Yoruba people head consequential agencies in Nigeria as ‘baseless’. The online disagreement has led to further squabbles between El-Rufai and Omokri.

Criticising Omokri on X, El-Rufai published pictures of the social media personality and wrote with laughing emojis:

“NIGERIA UPDATE – The interesting lifecycle of Wendell Simlin, also sometimes retained as a political mercenary by any person or government that can pay.”

Reno Omokri and the ‘Wendell Simlin’ allegation

Legit.ng reports that the ‘Wendell Simlin’ jibe by El-Rufai was a reference to a 2015 allegation made by Deborah Campbell, an American woman, who accused Omokri of identity theft and impersonation.

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Omokri had reportedly used the infamous moniker, Wendell Simlin, in his attempt to allegedly link a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi (now Emir Muhammad Sanusi II), to the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Back in February 2014, Omokri wound up in a scandal after digital footprint of an article that tried to link the spike in Boko Haram attacks to Sanusi’s suspension as CBN governor was traced to him. Omokri allegedly used the pseudonym, Wendel Simlin, in the article circulated to bloggers and journalists, but Premium Times said the document’s digital signature was identical to previous papers Omokri had sent to it.

Via a series of telephone conversations and emails, Campbell disclosed to another Nigerian newspaper, Sahara Reporters, that her son, based in Hercules, California, is the real Wendel Simlin.

Alleged ‘Yorubanisation’ agenda: Presidency tackles El-Rufai

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the presidency described the allegation that Yoruba people head consequential agencies in Nigeria as “a cheap shot”.

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NNPC: Presidency reacts as El-Rufai responds to claim of alleged Yorubanisation agenda by Tinubu

According to one of the presidential spokespersons, Bayo Onanuga, the claim is ridiculous.

Source: Legit.ng