A prominent political figure, Franklyn Maduabuchi, also known as Cardinal Comrade Edede, has raised concerns over the involvement of political economist Pat Utomi with the African Democratic Congress. Edede alleged that Utomi is secretly working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He made the claim during a telephone interview with The Authority on Tuesday, warning opposition figures to be cautious of Utomi’s role within the party.
Edede claimed that Utomi did not genuinely support Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election but allegedly worked from within to undermine his chances. According to him, Utomi’s public posture differed from his actions, which he said favoured Tinubu’s emergence. He also questioned Utomi’s funding, citing TETFUND-related activities in 2023, and alleged that Utomi contributed to the rift between Obi and Atiku Abubakar.
The ADC chieftain argued that the Obi–Atiku division weakened the opposition and benefited the ruling party. He accused Utomi of promoting strategies ahead of 2027 that would favour Tinubu, saying, “anyone encouraging Obi to run outside the Atiku-led ADC is indirectly working for the continuation of Tinubu in office.” Edede insisted that only an Atiku–Obi ticket on the ADC platform could defeat Tinubu in 2027.