The former presidential media advisor, Reno Omokri, has lambasted seasoned journalist and presenter Dr. Reuben Abati. He accuses Dr. Abati of exhibiting political prejudice in his interpretation of President Bola Tinubu's statements about leadership in Rivers State.

On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, a video went viral featuring Omokri’s response to an Arise TV segment. In this segment, Abati alleged that the President was behaving like a dictator due to his suggestion that the FEC would legislate specifically for Rivers State.

Omokri dismissed the allegation, asserting that Abati had misinterpreted the President’s comments.

The President did not say that. If you watch the broadcast from the President on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, what was mentioned is that the new Administrator won’t be making any regulations specific to Rivers State.

Nevertheless, he will have the authority to create regulations, which will come under the oversight of the Federal Executive Council and will be issued by the President. Pay attention to what the President says.

"The President didn’t indicate that the Administrator would create laws. Instead, what was clearly communicated once more is that the Administrator would develop regulations under the oversight of the Federal Executive Council. These would be regulations, not laws," explained the ex-presidential media aide.

Omokri went on to criticize Abati’s grasp of governance and legal differences.

He stated: "There is indeed a distinction. If someone with a PhD cannot tell the difference between a regulation and a law, it reflects poorly on the state of Nigeria's educational system."

He likewise cautioned about deceptive stories that might incite unwarranted unrest.

He stated, "For those who heard Dr. Abati’s broadcast and might now begin to push for the National Assembly to impeach the President, I’ll explain it further."

A law serves as a legal structure that grants power to a government or an authority. On the other hand, a regulation consists of a series of guidelines that enable a government or an authority to implement and enforce a law effectively.

Omokri likewise cast doubt on Abati’s intentions, implying that political prejudice could have affected his perspective.

"He either didn’t pay attention to the President, or if he did observe the President, then he fails to grasp the difference between a regulation and a law. There’s also an additional possibility: He might have been influenced by his own political biases," he said.

Wrapping up his speech, Omokri urged Nigerian media organizations to maintain a clear distinction between journalistic news coverage and individual viewpoints.

"That's why Nigerian television stations must ensure they do not present the views of politically exposed individuals as factual reporting. Viewers tuning into these channels should understand that what they're seeing isn’t actual news, but rather someone's personal opinion," he stated.