Political commentator and ex-presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has dismissed claims by a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dele Momodu, that President Bola Tinubu is relying on mystical powers to consolidate political support, insisting instead that the President’s growing influence is anchored on economic performance and improved security.
Writing on his verified X account on Sunday, Omokri faulted Momodu’s earlier remarks, suggesting that governors defecting or aligning with the All Progressives Congress were doing so because of “Jazz”, a colloquial term for mystical manipulation.
He also slammed Momodu’s claim that Tinubu’s administration had recorded “abysmal failures in all ramifications.”
Omokri wrote: “Dele Momodu, President Tinubu Is Not Using ‘Jazz’. He Is Using Performance. Even You Are Looking Fresher and More Robust Under Tinubu! Last week, Mr @DeleMomodu admitted that he does not know why various Governors elected on different political party platforms are gravitating to the All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu, and attributed the situation to mystical powers colloquially known in Nigeria as ‘Jazz’. Then today, Sunday, March 1, 2026, he released a statement accusing the President of ‘abysmal failures in all ramifications.’”
On the economy, Omokri argued that Tinubu’s record contradicts claims of underperformance. He further stated that Nigeria’s balance of trade has remained positive since Tinubu assumed 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 noted that GDP growth stood at 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.”
Citing manufacturing, fuel supply and capital market growth, Omokri 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,” while noting 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 pointed to foreign reserves, saying they 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 reduced “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. He recalled 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 overshot its OPEC quota in 2025 for three consecutive months, producing an average of 1.71 million barrels per day.
He added, “Almost all of the over a hundred police stations that were closed down by the disturbances in the South-East have been opened. Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, and his sidekick, Simon Ekpa, have both been convicted of terrorism and are in prison.”
Omokri also referenced past attacks on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, the Kuje prison break and assaults on security formations, asserting, “None of those occurrences is happening today. Abuja is safe. And while we still have incidents of insecurity, they have significantly reduced and are now localised.”
He concluded by questioning 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?”
In the early hours of Sunday, Momodu escalated 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 termed public complacency in the face of alleged governance failures. He referenced Nigeria’s past struggle against military dictatorship, arguing that the country risked 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 further cautioned against what he described as “messianic posturing” in leadership, suggesting that such tendencies often result in a “God complex.” He claimed that Nigeria was approaching a critical threshold and alleged that the President was 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 went on to rate 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 criticisms formed the detailed rebuttal from Omokri, who defended the administration’s economic and security record.
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