- Safiu Kehinde
Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has disclosed how ex-National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisah Metuh, recommended Segun Showunmi to him for his appointment as the spokesperson to the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Omokri made the disclosure in a post on his Instagram handle on Monday.
The ex-Presidential aide had earlier made the claim during an interview on The Honest Bunch.
He reaffirmed being responsible for hiring Showunmi as Atiku’s spokesperson and even negotiated his salary.
Describing himself as a meticulous record keeper, Omokri recalled how he Metuh had in May 2018 recommended Showunmi to him for the role.
He disclosed negotiating his salary with him before referring him to Atiku.
“If I am nothing at all, I am a meticulous record keeper. In May 2018, Olisa Metuh, the former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, recommended Segun Showunmi for the role of spokesman to Waziri Atiku Abubakar. Mr. Metuh asked Segun Showunmi to send his resume (what we call a CV) to me. Thereafter, Olisa Metuh asked Segun Showunmi to contact me for a job interview.
“I spoke to Segun Showunmi from California and negotiated his salary with him. I thereafter informed Waziri Atiku Abubakar, and Segun Showunmi was announced as his spokesman on the terms I negotiated with him.
“If there is any controversy or if anybody is using foul language to deny the obvious truth, then I urge the media to contact Mr. Olisa Metuh, who is an eyewitness and who was the one who recommended Segun Showunmi to me for employment as Waziri Atiku’s spokesman.
“After he was employed, Mr. Segun Showunmi returned to Mr. Olisa Metuh to thank him for recommending him to me.
“I do not want to be forced to publish documentary evidence. I would rather not. But if I have to, then I can.
I urge anyone wanting to deny the obvious to think twice.
“Again, I repeat that if I am nothing at all, at least I am a meticulous record keeper.” Omokri wrote.
Confirming the claim in telephone conversation with newsmen, Metuh admitted to have recommended Showunmi to Reno Omokri for appointment as spokesperson to Atiku in 2018.
“Yes, Reno contacted me back then when I was still involved in politics,
“He asked me to suggest someone who could handle the role of spokesperson for Atiku. I considered Deji Adeyanju initially, but he had already left the PDP at the time.” he said.
Metuh said he then suggested Segun Showunmi.
“I remembered Segun and recommended him. I told him to reach out to Reno, which he did,” he explained, adding that the matter was straightforward.
“There is absolutely no controversy about that.” he added.