Reno Omokri, former media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has responded to allegations of sexual harassment made by Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. In a video posted on his Facebook page, Omokri addressed the accusation, which surfaced just days after Akpoti-Uduaghan made similar allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The incident has sparked a wave of controversy, as both parties continue to dispute the events in question.
The initial allegation against Omokri came from a video recorded by Akpoti-Uduaghan on October 12, 2021, during her bid to become the Kogi state governor under the Social Democratic Party. In the video, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed that Omokri flirted with her at a state banquet held on May 6, 2014, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. The event was attended by then-President Goodluck Jonathan and the visiting Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Akpoti-Uduaghan went on to assert that Omokri’s denial of being in the country during the time in question was false. She urged the Nigerian Immigration Service to investigate his claims and verify whether he was indeed absent from Nigeria on that date. The senator emphasized that Omokri’s actions at the banquet, as described, were inappropriate and amounted to harassment.
In his response, Omokri strongly denied the accusation, insisting that he was not in Nigeria on May 6, 2014. He explained that he had been sent to the United States by President Jonathan as a special envoy to improve Nigeria’s image following the abduction of the Chibok girls. Omokri stated, “I was not in Nigeria throughout the time when Natasha Akpoti accused me. So she obviously lied.”
Omokri further claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan had attempted to retract her accusations after newspapers published evidence supporting his version of events. According to Omokri, she deleted all traces of her initial claims, including a video where she allegedly insulted him, his wife, and their newborn daughter. “After newspapers published my evidence, Natasha deleted all traces of her accusation. She deleted everything,” Omokri said in his video.
