Pat Utomi refuses to engage APC 'data boys,' calls it insult to his integrity ahead of 2027 polls
Professor Pat Utomi has dismissed engagement with APC's online supporters—known as 'data boys'—as an insult to his integrity, escalating tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a post on X this Sunday, the political economist and longtime Tinubu critic said he won't waste time arguing with individuals paid to defend the government online, insisting Nigeria's problems demand serious intellectual engagement, not social media propaganda.
Utomi's refusal highlights a growing fracture in Nigerian political discourse: the clash between substantive policy critique and coordinated online activism. The APC's digital operation has become a formidable force, deploying paid commentators to shape narratives and attack critics across platforms. Utomi, who has consistently challenged Tinubu's economic policies, positions himself above what he calls the 'noise' of manufactured online outrage.
This isn't just about one professor's pride. As 2027 approaches, the battle for narrative control intensifies. Paid digital armies on all sides—APC, PDP, Labour Party—flood timelines with talking points, making genuine debate nearly impossible. Citizens trying to understand actual policy differences must now filter through layers of performed outrage and scripted defenses.
When political discourse becomes a content farm, who loses? The voter trying to distinguish between legitimate criticism and paid attacks. The policy debate that never happens because volume drowns substance. The accountability that evaporates when every critique can be dismissed as 'opposition propaganda' or every defense as 'paid support.'
As election season heats up, how will you separate performed loyalty from genuine conviction—and does it matter if the outcome is the same?