The political theatre has long mixed conviction with convenience. What was once shouted from rooftop manifestos tomorrow becomes a press release or a handshake inside the Villa. In the space of weeks and months in 2025, three high-profile figures — Nyesom Wike, Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode — moved from loud, emphatic critics of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to visible beneficiaries of the same administration they once ridiculed, condemned, and dismissed.
The speed and public nature of these reversals raise fresh questions about principle, patronage, and the real value of political “integrity” in contemporary Nigerian politics. Below, we examine the facts, the flashbacks, and the implications — using verified reporting and public statements — so readers can judge for themselves.
THE CONCRETE TURN: AMBASSADORIAL NOMINATIONS AND THE RETURN OF OLD FOES
The most unmistakable signal of these reversals came at the end of November 2025 when President Tinubu transmitted a fresh list of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate. Multiple reputable outlets — Punch, Premium Times, TVC News, Channels Television — reported that Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode were among the 32 non-career ambassadors on the list.
Simultaneously, Nyesom Wike, now FCT Minister despite being a PDP member, featured prominently in news accounts of reconciliation meetings in Abuja. These meetings — hosted by President Tinubu — were framed as efforts to restore peace among political factions in Rivers State. Wike emerged from these engagements speaking glowingly about outcomes and the President's leadership role in ensuring “unity.”
Meanwhile, Reno Omokri — once one of the loudest anti-Tinubu voices on social media — issued a public statement thanking the President and saying the appointment taught him “the true meaning of forgiveness.” TheCable and other mainstream platforms documented his comments.
THE FLASHBACK: WHAT THESE MEN ONCE SAID, AND HOW THEY SAID IT
To understand why these developments triggered public shock and criticism, we must revisit their own past declarations — loud, unambiguous and sometimes bitter.
1. Reno Omokri
Before and after the 2023 elections, Omokri repeatedly stated:
He could never work with Tinubu
He saw Tinubu as someone he fundamentally opposed
He would not accept appointments from the APC government
These statements resurfaced instantly across X (Twitter), Instagram, and in commentary pieces once his ambassadorial nomination became public.
2. Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK)
FFK is no stranger to political shifts, but his previous criticisms of APC and Tinubu were fiery and relentless. Years ago, he:
Called the APC a “cult of power”
Accused Tinubu of poor leadership
Declared he would never return to APC
Yet in late 2025, he accepted an ambassadorial nomination — celebrating it online and thanking the same administration he had once vilified.
3. Nyesom Wike — The Most Dramatic Shift of All
Wike’s own U-turn is arguably the most dramatic, documented, and politically consequential.
Let’s set the record straight:
He was a PDP strongman for years, positioning himself as one of the party’s fiercest defenders.
He was caught on video saying he would never defect to APC under any circumstances.
He declared publicly, during multiple political battles, that he would never serve as Minister under an APC presidency.
He frequently mocked Tinubu and APC leaders, insisting PDP must remain united against them.
Yet:
In 2023, Wike accepted a powerful appointment as Minister of the FCT — under an APC government he swore he would never serve.
He remained a “PDP member” in name, but has since become the most influential political figure working against PDP unity nationwide.
His alignment with Tinubu’s administration has caused persistent internal chaos within PDP and has effectively strengthened APC’s grip on national influence.
Wike’s attendance at reconciliation meetings brokered by Tinubu — and his repeated public praise for the President — mark a complete reversal from his earlier confrontational posture.
WHY THESE U-TURNS MATTER — THREE CRITICAL ANGLES
1. Patronage and Institutional Reward
Ambassadorial slots, ministerial postings and presidential appointments are classic tools for consolidating political coalitions.
When an outspoken critic becomes an appointee, the ruling administration wins twice:
They neutralize an enemy
They gain a new loyalist
The November 2025 list is a textbook case.
2. Political Optics and National Reconciliation
For President Tinubu, offering appointments to critics helps paint a picture of:
maturity
magnanimity
political inclusion
For the recipients, the pivot is packaged as:
patriotism
forgiveness
“service to the nation”
This is political image management at its highest level.
3. Credibility and the Cost of Loud Reversals
Digital memory is long.
Nigeria’s online community is even longer.
When politicians declare:
“Never!”
“Over my dead body!”
“Count me out!”
…only to return months later holding appointment letters, the public notices.
Social media reactions to Omokri, Wike and FFK show intense public skepticism and ridicule — with many calling their reversals opportunistic, transactional and unprincipled.
RESPONSES, BACKLASH & PUBLIC REACTIONS
Civil society groups, youth activists and political commentators have widely criticized the optics of:
rewarding critics with appointments
normalizing political flip-flops
eroding ideological boundaries between parties
Some opposition voices accused the Tinubu administration of “buying silence” while accusing the appointees of “selling principle for power.”
The debate remains split between:
those who see it as pragmatism, and
those who see it as pure opportunism.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR NIGERIAN POLITICS
The events of 2025 provide a powerful case study on Nigerian elite behaviour:
Realpolitik reigns supreme.
Political principles are negotiable.
Appointments can override ideology.
The electorate is watching more closely than ever.
Most importantly:
The line between opposition and the ruling party is becoming increasingly blurry — a dangerous development for any democracy.
FINAL ASSESSMENT: PRINCIPLE VS. INFLUENCE
Changing opinions is normal.
Changing convictions overnight — especially when power and privilege are involved — raises questions of sincerity.
Were these reversals:
Driven by new convictions?
Driven by personal ambition?
Driven by opportunity?
Or driven by survival in Nigeria’s power ecosystem?
The public will decide.
But one thing is clear:
In Nigerian politics, “never” simply means “not yet.”
0 Comments