Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has broken his silence over speculation that he has been rejected by the Mexican government, firmly dismissing the claims and attributing his delayed resumption to the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup being co-hosted by Mexico and the United States.

Omokri addressed the issue during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, insisting that the narrative of rejection was a fabrication engineered by political opponents seeking to embarrass him and the Tinubu administration.

He maintained that his situation is not unique and that many Nigerian ambassadors across different postings are similarly yet to resume at their respective stations.

“Mexico has not rejected me. Not at all. You should understand that Mexico is right now hosting the World Cup, along with the United States of America, and all of their focus is on that,” Omokri said. “Most of us ambassadors have not resumed. So I’m not the only one. A lot of my colleagues are in my situation, but it’s okay. These things happen. The opposition will always say things like I have been rejected.”

Omokri was appointed as Nigeria’s non-career ambassador to Mexico by President Bola Tinubu earlier this year, as part of a batch of 65 ambassadors-designate posted to diplomatic missions across the world. His Senate confirmation came in December 2025, and Tinubu’s official postings were announced in March 2026.

The appointment of the outspoken former presidential aide and author to one of Africa’s most prominent diplomatic posts generated significant public interest, with Omokri himself expressing deep gratitude to the President upon learning of his posting.

The delay in resumption has, however, drawn scrutiny and fuelled opposition commentary in recent weeks, particularly given Omokri’s high public profile. His Channels Television appearance appeared designed to put the matter to rest, framing the holdup as a routine diplomatic reality rather than a diplomatic setback. With Mexico expected to return to its full complement of government operations once the World Cup concludes next month, it remains to be seen when the ambassador will finally take up his post in Mexico City.