Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, has confirmed claims made by Reno Omokri that he facilitated the appointment of Segun Showunmi as spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking with journalists by phone, Metuh acknowledged that Omokri reached out to him in 2018 for recommendations for a spokesperson role in Atiku’s campaign.
“When Reno called me to recommend someone for Atiku, I initially thought of Deji Adeyanju, but I remembered that he had left the PDP. Then, I remembered Segun, so I recommended him to Reno,” Metuh stated.
According to Metuh, Showunmi subsequently contacted Omokri as instructed.
“I told him to call Reno, and he called Reno, and that was it,” he said.
‘No Controversy Whatsoever,’ Says Metuh
Metuh dismissed any suggestions of dispute or misinformation surrounding the process, saying, “There is absolutely no controversy about that.”
He added, “I don’t think they [Reno and Segun] are still in PDP anymore, and so, there is no controversy about that.”
His confirmation supports Reno Omokri’s earlier remarks made during a chat on The Honest Bunch podcast, where Omokri dismissed the notion that he gained prominence as Atiku’s spokesperson and clarified instead that he had hired others, including Segun Showunmi, for Atiku.
Omokri, a former media aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, had explained that he was the one who negotiated Showunmi’s salary and coordinated his appointment.
“If I am nothing at all, I am a meticulous record keeper,” Omokri wrote in a Facebook post following the podcast episode.
Reno Omokri: ‘I Negotiated His Salary from California’
Detailing the hiring process, Omokri said, “In May 2018, Olisa Metuh recommended Segun Showunmi. Mr. Metuh asked Segun to send me his resume.
“I spoke to Segun from California and negotiated his salary with him. I thereafter informed Waziri Atiku Abubakar, and Segun was announced as his spokesman on the terms I negotiated.”
Omokri emphasised that if any person continues to dispute his claims, he would be compelled to release documentary proof.
“I do not want to be forced to publish documentary evidence. I would rather not. But if I have to, then I can,” he warned.
The statements from both Metuh and Omokri now clarify the behind-the-scenes appointment process, putting to rest online debates about how Showunmi secured his spokesperson role in Atiku Abubakar’s 2019 presidential campaign.
