Pat Utomi Defends Anthony Kila Amid Title Controversy

Pat Utomi, a political economist and professor, defended Anthony Kila's educational qualifications following a Premium Times investigation published on October 3, 2026, which found no evidence that Kila was awarded a professorial title by a recognized academic institution. In a post on 𝕏 on October 15, 2026, Utomi condemned the online attacks and public humiliation directed at Kila, which he described as a disturbing trend.

He noted that he has known Kila since 2006, when they first met in Cambridge, England, during Utomi's presidential campaign preparations. Although Utomi clarified that he had not personally verified Kila's academic credentials, he dismissed claims that Kila had never attended school as baseless and insulting.

Utomi expressed concern over the intensity of the attacks and described Kila as intelligent and a good person, while also acknowledging that he could not guarantee Kila's perfection. He deemed the suggestion that Kila had never attended school as "spectacularly stupid.".