Media campaigner and aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has accused the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, of rank hypocrisy and ‘the single greatest contributor’ to the unrestrained consumption his campaign has repeatedly criticized and vowed to move Nigeria from.
Omokri made the accusation on Twitter last weekend with a thread in which he berated Peter Obi as just a trader lacking the experience and range of skills required for the presidency. He accused him of being a major importer of foreign-produced goods despite his criticism of Nigeria’s ‘taste for foreign items’ and political vow to engineer a change in tack from ‘consumption to production’.
He said: “Peter Obi is just a trader. Pure and simple. The only thing that differentiates him from a Wuse market trader is volume. He imports products on a massive scale for resale in Nigeria. It is hypocritical for Nigeria’s greatest consumer to campaign on production!”
“Peter Obi is the single greatest contributor to consumption in Nigeria. He imports almost everything from A to Z, including beer and alcoholic drinks. Yet, he campaigns on turning Nigeria from consumption to production? It is like satan campaigning against sin!”
Omokri also criticized the uncritical acceptance of the candidate by the ‘Obidients’ whom he described as gullible and unwilling to subject Peter Obi’s claims to scrutiny. Indeed, since Obi’s emergence as a candidate, he has during media rounds made several claims found to be false and inconsistent with facts and data.
“Enter any major supermarket in Nigeria. At least 15% of what you will see was imported into Nigeria by Peter Obi. Not manufactured. IMPORTED. If I am lying, I challenge Peter to sue me. And this is the fellow who wants to move Nigeria from consumption to production?”
“Peter Obi owns Next Cash & Carry. Go there. From the beginning of the shop to the end, almost everything is imported. And this is the man criss-crossing Nigeria telling gullible Obidients that he will move Nigeria from consumption to production?,” Omokri quipped.
“Apart from his investment in a beer brewery and other alcohol related investment, what does Peter Obi manufacture in Nigeria? He is the single greatest individual importer in Nigeria. Bar none. And yet he is railing against consumption? Abi na juju be that?”
He also blamed Peter Obi for the pressure on the country’s national currency, noting that his ceaseless imports contributes to the declining power of the naira and increases demand for the foreign currency at the time the country records few deposits of the same, due to falling price of crude, Nigeria’s major export resource.
“You are complaining that Naira is now ₦705 to $1. How do you think that happened? It is not only Buhari’s fault. Every time @PeterObi brings a ship loaded with foreign goods into Nigeria, he is driving down the value of the Naira. Importers are killing the Naira!”