… Disinformation, Falsehoods and The Truth
BOMADI—It is disheartening to witness the perennial lamentations and grievances emanating from a particular faction within the Patani/Bomadi Federal Constituency, particularly in the lead-up to or during political campaign periods in the constituency, which have commenced in anticipation of the 2027 general elections.
Indeed, this is part of the political theatre, and many are capitalizing on it by being at the forefront of feigned distress, as it were. I trust that the electorate will once more assert their choice of candidates in the 2027 general elections, with outcomes that often diverge from the ongoing media vilification and derogatory rhetoric.
It is documented that the lawmaker representing the Patani/Bomadi Federal Constituency, Hon. Nicholas Ebomo Mutu, was elected by the constituents in 1999. Since then, he has held the office continuously through successive re-elections, evidently due to his commendable performance, charisma and political rapport with his constituents.
To clarify, from 1999 to the present, the seat for the Patani/Bomadi Federal Constituency has always been contested by aspirants from both Patani and Bomadi Local Government Areas, which is an indisputable fact. Notable contenders include Hon. Basil Ganagana (Patani LGA), a perennial candidate who has participated in five previous contests and still jogging to contest; Chief Timi Tonye (Patani LGA), Dr. Chris Ekiyor (Patani LGA), Hon. Peres Omoun (Patani LGA), HRM (Barr) Godspower Tam Oporomo (Bomadi LGA), Dr. Felix Tuodolo (Bomadi LGA), Hon. William Angadi (Bomadi LGA) and Hon. Tam Obriki (Bomadi LGA), who have challenged Hon. Mutu over the years, both in party primaries and on opposition party platforms during general elections. Nevertheless, he consistently emerged as the people’s choice in these various contests.
Now, a handful of people calling themselves The Patani Agenda Group, have embarked on a Campaign of Bitterness concerning the 2027 general elections, asserting that Hon. Mutu has occupied his position for an excessive duration, as if self-appointed; venting their anger, issuing threats and disparaging the legislator across various media platforms, thereby flouting established norms of political campaigning and engagement.
It is no longer breaking news that the Patani Agenda Group has formally initiated the 2027 electoral campaigns in the nation with castigations and threats, rather than adhering to the customary practices of enticing the electorate through campaign manifestos.
A fortnight ago, I witnessed a satirical piece on Pararan Mock News regarding Hon. Mutu, ostensibly funded by the same groups that have initiated the 2027 campaigns, criticizing Hon. Mutu for his extended incumbency. Pararan Mock News is infamous for disseminating information provided to him without engaging in the necessary inquiries for balanced journalism, frequently leading to accusations of libel and defamation.
Pararan Mock News remains indifferent to understanding why the lawmaker is elected every four years; he neglects to inquire whether the lawmaker has ever faced opposition at the polls from aspirants in Patani and the outcomes thereof, nor does he investigate the existence of any sharing arrangement between Patani and Bomadi regarding the seat. He merely accepts remuneration and disseminates whatever drivel he chooses on his platform, which is lamentably unfortunate.
It is undeniable that, concerning the Patani/Bomadi Federal Constituency, there have consistently been electoral contests between aspirants from Bomadi and Patani in every election cycle, with Hon. Mutu consistently emerging victorious. Notably, in the previous election, the electorate from Patani local government area overwhelmingly supported him, even more so than those from Bomadi. I have previously challenged Pararan Mock News to verify this fact from his sources, yet he has failed to present any findings. The Patani Agenda Group reiterated the substantial backing of the Patani populace for Mutu during the 2023 elections when their campaign group visited Kpakiama community in Bomadi local government area last month.
It is interesting to learn that two notable contenders from Patani, Hon. Basil Ganagana and Mr. Louis Otuisi, who are esteemed minds driving the Patani Agenda Group, are already poised to contest against Hon. Mutu in the 2027 elections.
Regarding Mutu’s performance back home, he has excelled in advocating for developmental initiatives in Bomadi and Patani local government areas. Notably, over 85% of the roads intersecting Patani, the headquarters of Patani local government area, as well as the connecting roads in neighbouring communities, have been influenced by Hon. Mutu. These are NDDC roads, brought to fruition through the lawmaker’s efforts. Similarly, Bomadi local government boasts a comparable representation of such infrastructure, alongside his youth capacity-building and empowerment programmes, the annual Hon. Nicholas Ebomo Mutu Free Medicare Outreach, scholarships for students, philanthropy and special intervention projects.
Thus, the lamentations of the Patani Agenda Group are unfounded, and we, as constituents, possess a deeper comprehension of the political dynamics than outsiders who are inundated with slanderous news and missives designed to elicit sympathy from the unsuspecting public.
In essence, Hon. Mutu has neither perpetrated any wrongdoing against Patani nor any faction. He stands as the representative of the people’s mandate.
We seek verification from the Patani Agenda Group regarding the accuracy of the presented records. The pressing inquiry is whether the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency seat has consistently been contested in every election year, and whether Hon. Mutu has persistently triumphed over his opponents from the Patani side throughout the years.
We eagerly await the Patani Agenda Group’s responses to these questions.
Chancel Bomadi Sunday, a.k.a The Pen/The People’s Voice, writes from Bomadi LGA.
