Pat Utomi, renowned political economist and Labour Party stalwart, has denied any association with a speculated list of “new appointees and ministers” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. This list has been making rounds on social media, suggesting that Utomi will hold a ministerial position in the Tinubu-led government.
Utomi, a staunch supporter of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, refuted these claims in a public announcement shared by his Director of Media and Communications, Charles Odibo. The statement implored Nigerians to dismiss the misleading list. Obi and the Labour Party are currently contesting Tinubu’s presidential win at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja. Accepting a role in the new government might be perceived as a breach of trust by Obi and the Labour Party supporters.
Utomi described the rumors as a “far cry from the truth.” According to him, it’s another unsuccessful attempt by propagators of disinformation to tarnish his reputation or link him with the new administration within the last three months.
The statement reads, “Prof. Pat Utomi’s attention has once again been drawn to a deceptive list of ‘new appointees and ministries’ presently making rounds on social media. This list insinuates that Utomi is set to become a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s administration. This could not be further from the truth.
Utomi, who has been abroad for over two months working on his new book, confirmed that he has not been involved in any discussions pertaining to a governmental appointment. As such, he encourages Nigerians to disregard the fraudulent list tying him to the new Federal Government.
This incident marks the second unsuccessful effort in a span of three months by disseminators of false news to link Utomi with the new administration.
In a statement back in March, titled ‘President-elect Already Working to Move Nigeria Forward,’ these mischievous entities audaciously claimed that ‘Pat Utomi and Emir Sanusi were enlisted to spearhead the planning for Nigeria’s growth and development.’
Initially, we opted to overlook this imaginary piece of false news, not wanting to validate the originators with a reaction. However, considering the current national atmosphere, we deemed it necessary to debunk this baseless misinformation,” the statement emphatically concluded.
