Former economic adviser to former president of Nigeria and university doyen, Professor Pat Utomi has reacted to the list of prospective ministerial appointees in the cabinet of President Tinubu making the rounds on social media platforms.
Two days ago, a list of eminent Nigerians was published on social media purporting their appointments into different offices of the APC- led Federal Government of Nigeria. On the list is the Delta State born academic and economics giant, Professor Pat Utomi wherein he was purportedly appointed Minister of Economic Planning and Finance even as a member of the Labour Party.
Reacting to the circulating news, Professor Utomi has disowned the report, disclosing that the list was drafted by the fifth columnists who wanted to dent his political image. He argued that there was no way such could have happened without his premonition of it. He also used the opportunity to reaffirm his membership of the Labour Party. He urged members of the public to discountenance the rumour as nobody sought his attention for that.
Professor Pat Utomi ran for the presidential ticket of the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 presidential election against the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, primary election of which held in Asaba, Delta State capital. Utomi graciously withdrew from the contest and supported Obi to clinch the ticket of the party. But since after the election, Utomi has not been seen around the Labour Party’s candidate who has gone to election tribunal in Abuja to challenge the declaration of the APC’s Asiwaju Tinubu. This skillful absence therefore gave credibility to the rumour. 