Nigeria’s human rights lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has described the ambassadorial nomination of Mr. Reno Omokri as “a great disservice to the country,”.
The lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has also urged the Senate to reject it in the interest of national dignity and unity.
Ejiofor made the appeal in a statement titled “Monday Musing: The Diplomatic Misadventure of Reno Omokri — Why the Senate Must Save Nigeria From a Historical Error-in-Progress.”
He argued that Omokri’s nomination threatens both the credibility of the President and the collective pride of Nigerians.
The lawyer warned that any senator of Igbo extraction who supports the confirmation should consider himself a traitor, accusing Omokri of long-standing hostility towards the Igbo people.
According to Ejiofor, Omokri has “relentlessly undermined the Igbo nation through hate speech, stereotypes and online campaigns.”
He insisted that few individuals in Nigeria’s history have attacked an entire ethnic group with such persistence.
Branding Igbos criminals
He accused Omokri of branding Igbos as criminals, invaders and economic parasites, and supporting divisive narratives urging Igbos to leave Lagos — acts he said remain documented across social media platforms.
“His digital fingerprints are everywhere. The archives do not forget,” Ejiofor wrote.
He further questioned how a man who previously led public protests against the Nigerian government in the U.S and U.K, and routinely ridiculed national leadership, could now become a diplomatic representative of the same country.
“How does a man who de-marketed Nigeria globally now pledge to defend her image abroad?” he queried.
Ejiofor stated that diplomacy demands honour, restraint, and respect for all segments of the country.
These qualities he believes Omokri lacks, given his history of online outbursts and ethnic antagonism.
He argued that appointing Omokri to an ambassadorial post would amount to rewarding divisive conduct.
The Human Rights Lawyer urged the Senate to prevent what he called a “brewing national embarrassment.”
Cost of overlooking Omokri’s record
In his words, “Nigeria cannot entrust her foreign image to someone who has repeatedly assaulted the dignity of a major ethnic nationality.
“If the Presidency overlooks Omokri’s record, the Senate must not.”
He maintained that history will not forget any Igbo senator who supports the nomination.
“The memory of a slight against a people lasts longer than the tenure of any government.”
Ejiofor concluded by suggesting that Omokri may be suitable as a presidential spokesperson — “a role aligned with noise and notoriety” — but insisted that diplomacy requires grace he has not demonstrated.
“The Senate must stop this before it becomes a stain on the nation,” he warned.
