Nigerian political economist and one of the key members of the Labour Party Prof Pat Utomi has debunked a statement by a presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga alleging his involvement in the proposed ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest.
It would be recalled that the Bola Tinubu- led administration on Saturday accused supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi of sponsoring the planned nationwide protests against economic hardship.
President Tinubu, through his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, without evidence, alleged that the protest organisers are the same individuals involved in the 2020 ENDSARS protests, which were infiltrated by separatist elements.
Onanuga further warned that the planned demonstrations could lead to anarchy and said the former Anambra governor should be held accountable for any resulting crisis.
His post has generated controversy online and offline.
Reacting to this, Utomi via a post on the microblogging platform, X, said that he has been resident in the United States for months and had no idea about the said protest.
“Esteem just collapsed before me. I used to think Bayo Onanuga was a journalist of some standing until I began to receive calls this morning about his accusing me of planning demonstrations for August,” he began.
“First I have been resident in Washington DC and occupied by an intense Fellowship for months with additional work on a book project such that I did not even know demonstrations were being planned until I called a senior civil servant in Abuja who I sent a questionnaire on public policy reforms.
“I mentioned I would be in Ghana for events around the AU summit and he said if you will come into Nigeria careful that demonstrations in August do not make you run into flight disruptions.
“That is how I heard of protests being planned. This morning when I heard about Onanuga’s comment my inclination was to ignore it. But another caller suggested it could deliberate falsehood to rationalize a sinister plan. I would like Mr Onanuga to present any evidence to justify his comment.”