Ambassador-designate Reno Omokri has advised former presidential candidate Peter Obi to stop thinking like a trader.

This was after Obi criticised President Bola Tinubu, saying he has only spent eight days in Nigeria in 2026.

In a Facebook post, Omokri said the criticism is a symptom of derangement.

He further stated, "Sir, you need to address your mental health. This is not how to become President. Your desperation is showing. You need to stop taking advice from the madman at Upper Iweka.

"Here are the facts. 2026 is just 31 days old. And in that time, President Bola Tinubu took his annual leave, as he is constitutionally entitled to.

"Moreover, Nigeria was recently listed by the International Monetary Fund as the sixth-largest contributor to global GDP growth over the past year, a list celebrated by Elon Musk, the richest man on Earth. I notice that you avoided that news because it is good news, and you prefer bad news about Nigeria.

"Now, how did Nigeria achieve that feat? By foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment. And that type of investment is largely acquired by shuttle diplomacy. It means our President and Commander-in-Chief must travel to woo foreign investors.

"That is why immediately after his annual leave, the President hit the ground running and visited Abu Dhabi, UAE, on invitation by their Head of State in January 2026, to attend the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) summit and sign a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE to boost trade and investment by that country in Nigeria.

"Then he paid a state visit to Türkiye and achieved a similar feat.

"And we are seeing the result.

"The President attended the BRICS Summit in Brazil in July and returned with a $2.5 billion investment in Nigeria by Brazilian meat producer JBS.

"The President also travelled to Qatar, and now Qatari investors have pledged to invest $300 billion in Nigeria.
Such visits are why, in less than two years, President Tinubu added $67 billion to Nigeria's GDP, moving us from a ₦269.29 trillion economy on May 29, 2023, when he became President, to ₦372.8 trillion today.

"It is also why Nigeria experienced a surge in foreign portfolio investment in 2025, with combined foreign investment reaching nearly $14 billion between Q1 and Q3 2025.

"All of these saw Nigeria delivering a projected GDP growth of 4.1% in 2025.

"Peter Obi should be reminded that it was through extensive foreign travel that President Obasanjo, his mentor, secured debt relief for Nigeria.

"That you do not know this, Peter, is proof, once again, that you are a trader, not a leader, and you are better off operating a stall at Onitsha Market than leading a country as complex as Nigeria! "

ASA