Political commentator and former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has called out the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai for criticizing the Federal Government’s funding of a Lagos rail project.

Speaking on his verified X handle, Omokri accused El-Rufai of hypocrisy and alleged selective outrage, referencing similar projects during previous administrations.

Omokri highlighted that under former President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria borrowed $2 billion to construct a railway line in Niger Republic, a move that sparked controversy but received no objection from El-Rufai at the time.

He added that the Niger Republic, now reportedly hostile towards Nigeria, benefited disproportionately from this project, which amounted to 10% of Niger’s GDP at the time.

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Omokri juxtaposed this with Lagos State’s significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy. “8% of Nigeria’s population lives in Lagos, while 35% of our GDP comes from Lagos, contributing ₦44.17 trillion to our economy.

How much does Niger Republic contribute to our GDP?” he questioned.

He also pointed to the $1.2 billion Abuja-Kaduna railway built under Jonathan’s administration and the $769 million spent on constructing 165 Almajiri schools across northern states, both of which el-Rufai did not publicly oppose.

Omokri accused el-Rufai of inconsistency and suggested his criticism was driven by frustration over not being appointed as a minister in President Tinubu’s cabinet.

“Losing out on being a minister should not make you so demented that you begin to attack a government you once begged to be a part of,” Omokri wrote.