Khamenei: Your views “extremely reckless” – Ex-Tinubu spokesman Onoh slams Gumi
The former South-East spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Denge Onoh, has described Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi’s praise of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as “extremely reckless.”
Onoh warned Gumi to be cautious with his words, stating that his praise for Khamenei could radicalize Nigerian youth and worsen religious cleavages, The Guardian reports.
Onoh was reacting to a controversial statement made by Gumi yesterday, in which the cleric described Khamenei as a leader who “stood firmly for justice” and would inspire change across the Muslim world.
However, Onoh noted, “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not stand for justice, as he presided over one of the most brutal authoritarian regimes of the time.”
Onoh, who also chairs the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, said the late Iranian ruler—who was eliminated last Saturday in an Israeli strike in Tehran—was an authoritarian involved in the mass murder of his own countrymen and others across the Middle East. He described Gumi’s remarks as “not only factually false, but extremely reckless at the world’s critical moment.”
Onoh explained that his position was based on a “verified list of atrocities Khamenei committed under his direct leadership, drawn from reports by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the United Nations, and credible documentation.”
He questioned why Gumi ignored reports that Khamenei directed the killing of more than 36,500 protesters during the December 2025–January 2026 nationwide uprising in Iran. He added that Khamenei “personally gave the order for lethal force, with IRGC commanders citing his January 9 speech as authorization for a ‘victory through terror’ campaign.”
Onoh also referenced the suppression of the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, stating that security forces killed hundreds of unarmed citizens, including children, and arrested thousands. He further alleged that Iran under Khamenei operated a “world-leading execution machine.”
“Iran under Khamenei consistently ranked among the top global executioners, hanging hundreds every year—including juveniles, political prisoners, and ethnic minorities—often after torture and sham trials in Revolutionary Courts,” Onoh stated.
He also accused Khamenei’s government of persecuting the Baha’i community and sponsoring militant groups across the Middle East.
“These are not Western propaganda. They are documented facts accepted by every major international human rights body,” Onoh remarked. “Sheikh Gumi ought to know that this is not the time for romantic martyrdom poetry. Iran has just lost its Supreme Leader in military strikes. Tehran has vowed revenge. The region is on edge.”
Warning of the dangerous implications for Nigeria, Onoh said: “In Nigeria—a multi-religious nation already battling banditry, kidnapping, and lingering insurgency—statements that glorify a proven sponsor of terrorism and mass murderer risk doing two dangerous things: radicalizing impressionable young Muslims who may see Khamenei as a hero instead of a tyrant, and deepening religious fault lines at home when we should be promoting unity.”
“Sheikh Gumi’s words carry weight in the North, and he must use that weight for truth, not for importing foreign conflicts or turning a dictator into a saint,” he observed, adding, “The blood of Iranian women, children, Baha’is, Sunnis, Christians, and dissidents cry out for justice—not celebration.”
Onoh also rejected suggestions that Khamenei’s death would inspire positive change through revenge. “Khamenei’s death will not ‘fuel change in the Ummah’ through vengeance. Real change comes when Muslims and Christians alike reject tyranny in all its forms—whether in Tehran, Kabul, or anywhere else.”
He noted that the administration of President Tinubu is currently strengthening Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts through partnerships with the United States. This includes the Nigeria-US Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism, the deployment of approximately 100 US military advisers for intelligence-sharing, and precision airstrikes targeting Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Onoh concluded by urging the cleric to prioritize truth and unity: “I urge you, in the name of the same God we both fear, to choose truth over propaganda. The blood of the innocent should shame us, not inspire us to more division.”
