The Senate has dismissed claims that it received petitions from the Indigenous People of Biafra, Abuja indigenes or any organisation opposing the screening of former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, or any of President Bola Tinubu’s 65 ambassadorial nominees currently before lawmakers.
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The rebuttal follows rising speculation across political circles and online platforms alleging that some nominees, including Omokri, former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, were facing coordinated opposition ahead of their confirmation.
Speaking with newsmen on Sunday, the Senate Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, stated that no formal petition was submitted to the upper chamber.
When asked about alleged petitions from IPOB and FCT indigenes, Adaramodu maintained that the Senate had not received any such correspondence.
He queried, “What is IPOB? That group is outlawed and proscribed. It is not recognised by our laws and Constitution. I am telling you that we didn’t receive petitions from anybody, organisation or legal entity, not even from any faceless, outlawed and rogue element.
“There was no petition against any nominee. So, if a group of masquerades put themselves together on the streets of Gwagwalada and say they are writing a petition, should we treat such a thing?”
He stressed that the upper chamber only considers petitions with identifiable sources.
“We only treat petitions written by identifiable bodies, individuals, corporate organisations and political parties. So, as I earlier said, IPOB is outlawed. It is not even on our radar.
“Again, does it mean that if a group of bandits writes a petition from Sambisa Forest, then we should be treating that?” he asked.
The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs had entered the second day of its screening exercise on Thursday, with several ambassadorial nominees appearing before the lawmakers.
Earlier in the week, human rights lawyer and IPOB counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, issued a public statement urging the Senate to reject Omokri’s nomination entirely, describing the choice as “a historical error-in-progress” and “a national embarrassment.”
Ejiofor argued that Omokri’s alleged “ethnic bigotry” and past conduct make him unfit for diplomatic service.
While labelling his inclusion on the ambassadorial list “a bewildering lapse in judgment,” the legal practitioner accused those who recommended him of having “swapped statesmanship for slapstick.”
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