By Abubakar Yunusa
A professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, has questioned the growing attacks on the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, asking why the former Anambra State governor continues to face hostility from political figures despite finishing third in the last presidential election.
Utomi said the intensity of the attacks against Obi raised questions that Nigerians deserved answers to, particularly as political activities gathered momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The professor made the observation in a post on his verified X handle on Saturday.
He wrote, “There is no convincing explanation for why a candidate who finished third in the 2023 presidential election attracts this level of hostility from all directions.
“The intensity of the attacks raises questions that Nigerians deserve answers to. Perhaps one day, we will finally understand what really happened in 2023.”
Although Utomi did not identify those he believed were behind the attacks, his comments came amid repeated criticisms of Obi by prominent figures in the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The former Anambra governor has recently come under fire from President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, had launched verbal attacks on Obi during the APC’s presidential campaign rallies in Ekiti and Akwa Ibom states.
Similarly, Shettima, while speaking in Akwa Ibom State on Friday, accused Obi of undermining his presidential ambition with what he described as lies.
Tinubu also took a swipe at the former governor, comparing Obi’s handling of erosion challenges in Anambra with his own confrontation with the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos.
The latest exchanges have further intensified political arguments surrounding Obi’s possible role in the 2027 presidential election.
Utomi’s intervention has, however, raised questions about the growing attention directed at the former governor as political alignments ahead of the next general election continue to take shape.
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