Professor Pat Utomi, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused some social media users of being supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) allegedly paid to attack critics of the government.
Utomi said the users began criticising him after he raised concerns about the living and working conditions of Nigerian soldiers, whom he said were poorly paid despite risking their lives to protect the country.
The economist made the allegations in a series of posts on X on Sunday.
He said he had compared the conditions of Nigerian soldiers with those of their counterparts in the United States while questioning the amount of money allocated to lawmakers.
“Yesterday, we talked about the poor living and working conditions of Nigerian soldiers compared to their counterparts in the US, and how senators are fattening their pockets with billions of naira while the soldiers who risk their lives every day to protect us are underpaid heavily,” he wrote.
According to Utomi, some social media users subsequently attacked him over his comments, prompting him to examine their profiles.
“Then, some fellows benefiting from stomach infrastructure began to bash us. I took a quick look at their profiles, and it became obvious to me that they were APC data boys trolling anyone who dared to speak up,” he said.
He said he would not engage with the accounts, adding, “Engaging with any of them is an insult to my integrity.”
In a separate post, Utomi accused APC politicians of attempting to intimidate Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We have seen videos of APC politicians trying to intimidate Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he wrote.
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He urged Nigerians not to be discouraged from participating in the electoral process, saying collective action could prevent attempts to create fear ahead of the polls.
“Nigerians need to understand that these fellows are powerless when we stand united. Do not allow them to sow seeds of fear in you,” Utomi said.
He also urged Nigerians to participate in the election and protect the integrity of their votes.
“Come out, vote, and defend your votes,” he added.
