A former mayor of Blanco City in Texas, United States of America, Mike Arnold, has accused former presidential aide, Reno Omokri ,of manipulation and dishonesty, alleging that he took inconsistent positions on sensitive issues.
Arnold, who spoke following his recent visit to Nigeria, said Omokri’s change of stance on the alleged Christian genocide in the northern part of the country showed a lack of integrity and credibility.
He said, “Reno clearly just says whatever he is paid to say. He obviously has zero integrity. If he could go from one administration yelling and trying to get the world’s attention to the Christian genocide in the North, and then in the next administration, he calls it a hoax, I don’t think anybody should ever take that man seriously. He didn’t refute his previous claims; he just ignored them as if he never said that. Clearly, he is just a prostitute of rhetoric.”
The former mayor accused Omokri of exploiting their friendship for publicity rather than genuine advocacy, alleging that he was only cultivated as a “PR asset.”
“There is a higher standard for a friend. I knew from the beginning he was cultivating me as a PR asset. He never was concerned about what I cared about. He was cultivating me so that he could quote me as a prominent mayor. I felt God was leading me and that I had a date with destiny, but he is a manipulator, and that is what he does for a living,” he added.
Recounting how their relationship began, Arnold said it started in December 2023 after he reached out to Omokri through his website, having read one of his books on Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
According to him, Omokri immediately responded through WhatsApp, and the two later had a video call where he (Arnold) explained his research work on internally displaced persons and efforts to raise awareness about the alleged genocide in the country.
He claimed that during their first conversation, Omokri invited him to Kenya to attend his birthday celebration, promising that Jonathan and other prominent figures would be in attendance.
“That was a lie. Goodluck Jonathan was not there. He offered to pay my way but ended up paying only half of the airfare,” Arnold stated.
He also addressed the viral image of him presenting a “key to the city” to Omokri, describing it as a non-official gesture and not an act of the Blanco City government.
“That was a souvenir key from a gift shop. It doesn’t have anything to do with the city; it was not official. The position of mayor is voluntary, and my town is a very small one. That was not an official act as a mayor; that was me as a birthday guest presenting a gift. You can order one tomorrow. Nothing is official or legal about the presentation of the cheap key.”
In a video posted by Omokri on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on January 22, 2024, Arnold was seen presenting the symbolic key while addressing guests at the birthday event.
In the clip, Arnold said, “In your contribution to humanity, making the world a better place, it is my profound honour to give you a key to the City of Blanco as the mayor of the city. You have friends in Texas. You now own Texas.”
Those present at the event included former governor of Cross River State Donald Duke; former senator and media entrepreneur Ben Murray-Bruce; veteran gospel musician Bishop Pana Paul; Nollywood actor Wale Ojo; and several other friends and relatives of Omokri.
Arnold, who said he had been conducting research in Nigeria since 2010, maintained that his interest in the country stems from a desire to expose what he described as “systematic attacks against Christians” in parts of the North.
The fresh controversy on the alleged Christian genocide has again sparked public debate on whether the ongoing violence in parts of the country is indeed targeted at Christians.
Omokri, who once raised global awareness about religious killings, has in recent years dismissed such claims as exaggerated or politically motivated.
Human rights organisations, including some international Christian groups, have insisted that the violence meets the definition of genocide, citing thousands of deaths, mass displacements, and targeted attacks on churches.
Others, however, argued that the crisis is driven more by terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes than by religious motives.
When contacted by Saturday PUNCH via WhatsApp for his reaction to the allegations, Omokri declined to comment.
As of the time of filing this report, Omokri had yet to issue any statement regarding Arnold’s claims.
His silence is unusual for someone known for quick rebuttals on social and political controversies.
punch.ng
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