Labour Party chieftain, Professor Pat Utomi, on Friday revealed that he is battling cancer.
Utomi, a professor of political economy, who made the disclosure via a series of tweets via his X handle, noted that he was diagnosed with ailment in 2022 after a biopsy, a procedure to remove a piece of tissue or a sample of cells from the body for testing to detect cancer.
He said in the buildup to the 2023 elections, he occasionally visited a cancer centre in Ikeja after campaigns.
According to him, whenever he talks about his struggles with cancer, it dawned on him that many people of his age bracket are also battling the same ailment.
“Did not see why it was taboo to say you were in a battle with Cancer. The more I talked about it the more I found many of my age in similar circumstances,” he wrote.
“It almost seems like an epidemic for Nigerian men over 60. Not talking makes them lose the benefit of early detection.
“Once elections were over, my young nephews and cousins, Doctors in Europe and the US joined forces with the Lakeshore people and decided they wanted me in their direct care.
“That’s how it seemed. I went quiet cause they controlled my phones to reduce stress.”
Professor Utomi did not state the exact form of cancer he is grappling with.
Utomi, a chieftains of the Labour Party, stepped down for Peter Obi as the party’s presidential candidate in the February 25 presidential election.
