Pantami Clears Air On 2023 Presidential Ambition

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has cleared the air on his alleged interest in running for the 2023 presidency.

Naija News understands that some posters of the embattled minister were sighted on social media indicating his interest to join the 2023 presidential race.

Reacting, however, to the viral posters, an aide to the Minister, Affan Abuya, who spoke with newsmen said Pantami’s presidential ambition was not true but a fabrication by his detractors.

Abuya distances the minister from the viral posts insisting that the posters didn’t emanate from Pantami’s camp.

“Is fake from enemies,” Abuya said.

Naija News understands that Pantami faced some criticism and bashing over his appointment as a professor at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO).

Some Alumni of the institution had faulted the promotion of the minister, who has never been on the teaching roster of the university and whose highest academic attainment was just a senior lecturer before he ventured into politics.

Also, the National body of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU had said it rejected Pantami’s appointment as a Professor.

ASUU in a communique issued by its National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, observed that the professorial appointment has attracted an unprecedented level of controversy in the history of Nigerian Universities.

Osodoke in defence of the varsity union also denied insinuations that they endorsed the resolution by the ASUU branch in the Federal University of Technology (FUTO) which recently proclaimed that due process was followed in the appointment of Pantami as a Professor of Cyber Security.

Osodeke who spoke during a briefing after the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at the University of Abuja, held between November 13 and 14 said the union will never support “any illegal appointment or promotion of academics in any Nigerian University, including those of its members.”

Naija News recalls also that Pantami’s promotion had led to the suspension of the former chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Gombe branch.

The CAN leader was relieved of his duties following his congratulatory message without ‘approval’.