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By Alebiowu Kehinde
Political commentator Reno Omokri has launched a robust defense of Nigeria’s political stability and economic performance, urging citizens to temper their public discourse and avoid making statements he described as “treasonous,” particularly concerning the Republic of Benin.
Omokri’s statement stressed that while the Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of speech, this right does not extend to “abusing” it with inflammatory comments about neighboring countries or calls for a non-democratic change of government, which he explicitly labeled as treason.
He anchored his call for restraint on the successes he attributed to the current administration’s stability, citing several key economic indicators. Omokri noted that Nigeria’s GDP has grown to $\text{N}372.8$ trillion from $\text{N}269.29$ trillion recorded in May 2023, accompanied by a recent quarterly GDP growth of 3.93%.
Furthermore, he highlighted an improvement in Nigeria’s external finances, with the trade surplus reportedly surging from $\text{N}1.2$ trillion in 2022 to $\text{N}6.9$ trillion in 2024. The former presidential aide also pointed to what he termed “tamed” inflation, which he claimed is now at 16.05%, and a foreign reserve figure of $\text{N}46.7$ billion, which places Nigeria fourth highest in Africa.
In a measure of global standing, Omokri also referenced the Henley Passport Index, noting that the Nigerian passport has risen from the 97th most powerful in the world to the 88th. He concluded by asserting that all of these achievements are the direct result of Nigeria’s political stability, a benefit he argued citizens should not jeopardize. Omokri called on Nigerians to allow the government to properly manage the country’s response to develoapments in Benin and to order themselves regarding statements on Nigeria’s elected governments.
