ABUJA / WASHINGTON — Former presidential aide and Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has challenged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent claims regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s age and credentials, revealing that official U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents identify Tinubu’s birth date as March 29, 1952.
Omokri’s statement comes in direct response to an interview given by Atiku Abubakar (presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress), in which Atiku claimed to possess evidence that President Tinubu is currently 90 years old and promised to present the proof in court.
Key Clarifications Raised by Reno Omokri
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FBI Date of Birth Record: Omokri cited official correspondence sent by the U.S. Embassy in Lagos to Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police (dating back to 2003), which reflects records held in U.S. databases verifying Tinubu’s birth date as March 29, 1952 (making him 74 in 2026).
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Distinction Between FBI Files and Criminal Records: Addressing ongoing online controversy surrounding Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) filings in the United States, Omokri clarified that having records or non-criminal files within FBI databases does not mean an individual holds a criminal record.
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Routine Background Checks: He explained that the FBI’s Central Records System and Next Generation Identification database routinely contain administrative, biographical, financial, and biometric data resulting from standard visa applications and background checks on foreign nationals.
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Visual Photographic Evidence: Omokri additionally challenged Atiku’s 90-year-old claim by pointing to a widely known 1996 photograph of Tinubu in London alongside journalist Dele Momodu. Omokri noted that if Atiku’s assertion were true, Tinubu would have been 60 years old in 1996, asking the public to judge whether the photo aligns with that age.
“President Bola Tinubu has no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria, or anywhere else, and the FBI has not provided any criminal record on the President to anyone because none exists… FBI records may contain his name, but they are NOT criminal records.”
— Reno Omokri, Ambassador-Designate & Former Presidential Aide
