By Ononye VC
Big Tent, a coalition of political parties and civil society groups for Obi-Datti, has outrightly dismissed reports alleging that professor Pat Utomi, a chieftain of Labour Party of Nigeria is set to serve as a minister in president Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Charles Odibo, director of media and communications of Big Tent in a statement which a copy was made available to News Band, said Utomi has been out of the country for over two months working on his new book.
Odibo while describing the report as fake, also noted that Pat Utomi never held discussions with anyone with regard to any government appointment.
He however, urged the general public to disregard the report as there is no truth in it.
The statement reads, “The attention of Professor Pat Utomi has again been drawn to a disingenuous “List of new appointees and some new ministries” currently circulating on social media, purporting that Professor Utomi will serve as a Minister in President Bola Tinubu’s government. Nothing can be further from the truth.
“We have been in constant touch with Professor Utomi who has been out of the country for over two months working on his new book, and he has confirmed that he has not held discussions with anyone with regard to any government appointment. He therefore urges Nigerians to ignore the obviously fake list associating him with the new Federal Government.
“We recall that this will be the second failed attempt in nearly three months by the purveyors of the fake news to link Professor Utomi with the new government.
“In a statement in March entitled “President Elect Already Working To Move Nigeria Forward,” these same fifth columnists atrociously stated that “Pat Utomi and Emir Sanusi, to lead the planning for Nigeria’s growth and development.”
“Our initial instinct was to ignore this illusory piece of fake news and thereby not dignify the purveyors with a response, but after deep reflection and in consideration of the peace of the graveyard that pervades the nation we consider it expedient to dismiss this unfounded fake news and re-assure the teeming Obidients at home and in the diaspora that the Convener of Big Tent, Professor Utomi, in conjunction with the leadership of Labour Party, is committed to the cause of retrieving the mandate that Nigerians gave to Peter Obi at the polls on February 25, 2023.”
