Published 26th May, 2023

By Daniel Ojukwu

Pat Utomi, a member of the Labour Party (LP), has denied claims that Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, used him to orchestrate the emergence of Peter Obi, LP presidential candidate in the February 25 election.

Utomi, in a series of tweets on Friday, described the allegations as disinformation, and said there was no foul play, and that members of the public funded the campaign.

This comes after Tawfiq Akinwale, Oyo governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, alleged that Tinubu asked Utomi to step down for Obi.

Akinwale, while speaking during a radio programme on 101.7 YES FM, in Ibadan, said Tinubu asked “Utomi to step down for Obi to become the standard bearer of the LP.”

This, he said, was to reduce the chances of Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.

Reacting via a series of tweets on Friday, Utomi said, “Truly if any flow from BAT came to me, I would quickly withdraw money I spent at his urging in 2007 paid to an international PR agency for an Orange revolution-type campaign to stop 3rd term but not refunded.

“Details are in the book I wrote 4 years ago. It would have helped my cash flow.

“As for funding PO, I cannot but be amazed at this disinformation.

“The outpouring of resources of citizens in support groups and PO’s prudent draw on his own purse was so humbling I even turned to ODs to fund my own activities in support of the campaign for faith in saving Nigeria.

“I entered the 2023 campaigns to build a Third Force to break the race to the bottom and press a reset knob for Nigeria. Stayed elevated with issues and denounced calumnies. Yet some have waged disinformation and calumny campaigns aimed at me.”

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