Photo: Reno Omokri Releases Email to Back Claim He Hired Showunmi as Atiku’s Spokesperson

By Arthur Maduka

Reno Omokri has released what he says is documentary evidence to support his claim that he interviewed and hired Segun Showunmi as spokesperson to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. This comes days after Showunmi publicly denied Omokri’s version of events and described him as “delusional,” insisting he was never hired by him.

In a Facebook post on his verified handle, Omokri shared an email dated April 18, 2018, which he claims was exchanged between himself and Atiku Abubakar at 9:54 PM—shortly after his alleged interview with Showunmi and the negotiation of his salary.

“Please find attached an email between Waziri Atiku Abubakar and me at exactly 9:54 PM, on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, after I had just interviewed Mr. Segun Showunmi and negotiated his salary,” Omokri wrote.

He added that he is prepared to provide metadata and IP trace of the email to journalists for verification. Omokri also claimed that there is even more “damning evidence” to further establish that he was solely responsible for recruiting Showunmi, but said he has chosen not to release them out of respect for the privacy of others involved.

“However, if Mr. Segun Showunmi continues to deny that I interviewed and recruited him and negotiated his salary, before approving him to resume duty, then they may be published,” Omokri warned.

He also credited former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, with recommending Showunmi for the role, adding that Metuh can corroborate his claim. “I thank the then National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, who recommended Segun Showunmi to me, for corroborating the fact that I employed him as Waziri Atiku Abubakar’s spokesman,” Omokri stated.

Omokri, a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, has been at the centre of a public back-and-forth with Showunmi following an interview in which he claimed he turned down Atiku’s request to be his spokesperson, but went on to hire his media team.

While Showunmi dismissed Omokri’s claims as baseless and fabricated, Omokri insists he has kept meticulous records of his actions and is ready to back up every statement made during his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast.

Omokri is reportedly among those being considered for ambassadorial appointments by the Tinubu administration and is expected to appear before the Senate for screening.