Reno Omokri, President Bola Tinubu’s apologist, has accused Peter Obi of the Labour Party of pushing out information that could “ignite” protests like the one in Kenya.

The anti-tax protests have left about 23 dead as police opened fire on demonstrators. 

“Let us not be aloof and say it cannot happen in Nigeria. Look at the types of things Peter Obi has been posting on social media,” Mr Omokri said. “They are getting increasingly alarming. Working in tandem with Arise TV, this steady dribble of propaganda and misinformation can ignite a Kenya-style protest if left unchecked.”

In a post on X on Wednesday, Mr Omokiri, a former presidential media aide, urged Mr Tinubu not to be like former President Muhammadu Buhari, who mishandled the #EndSARS protests in 2020.

Mr Omokri urged Mr Tinubu to make a conscious effort to stay up-to-date with trends and political discussions on social media and conventional media and use the information in governance.

“Please do not allow your aides to cage you and give you only news that they have carefully curated and sanitised. Be on social media yourself to keep tabs on what influencers are saying. Watch the morning TV shows personally, especially the ones notorious for being against you and your government,” Mr Omokri said.

He added, “Read the papers and popular columnists firsthand. Listen to grassroots radio stations. In short, don’t isolate yourself from your people. Watch, hear and read what the media is feeding them and what is trending. Then, use that information to be proactive in your policies and pronouncements.”

Mr Obi is yet to respond to Mr Omokri’s criticisms and accusations. However, some Nigerians on X disagreed with Mr Omokri, who accused Mr Obi of inciting protests against Mr Tinubu’s government. 

“If you wanna advise your paymaster, kindly do so and not bring the innocent man, @PeterObi  into you mess. Leaving behind yourself, @renoomokri who has been inviting and exciting tribal unrest between Igbos and other ethnicities. Continue, your records are waiting publishing,” @Ritzy_Iyke said.

Another X user, @West_tekena, dug out Mr Omokri’s past as a notorious fake news peddler while serving as Mr Jonathan’s media aide.

“Your article is a hypocritical attempt to pose as a democracy advocate, given your history of spreading misinformation. Your concerns about unrest and calls for engagement ring hollow, and your selective memory and silence on past excesses make your credibility zero,” @West_tekena said. 

As media aide to Mr Jonathan, Mr Omokiri was exposed for creating a fake X handle, Wendell Simlin, in an attempt to link former Central Bank governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to the Boko Haram terrorist group.