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Prof. PAT UTOMI Tells City People
Pat Utomi is certainly not a strange name to Nigerians. What many don’t know is that, beyond being a renowned political economist and advocate for good governance and quality leadership, Pat Utomi is also a highly principled man. And often times, he is grossly misunderstood.
Contrary to widespread speculation that he refused to support President Bola Tinubu’s presidential aspirations in 2023 and has also refused to support Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential ambition purely because of his long standing relationship with Peter Obi, the accomplished scholar says this is not true. His decision not to support both men, who incidentally are his very good friends, is based largely on principle. He explains that he has nothing against both Atiku and Tinubu other than the fact that they are both over 70 and he has made it clear he will never support a presidential candidate who’s already 70 years old. And despite that both Tinubu and Atiku, whom he sat on the board of his University, are very good friends of his, he is sticking to his principle. They will not get his support. He has long declared his support for Peter Obi and he is sticking to him all the way.
In this interview with City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE and Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) Professor explained sufficiently why he preferred to support Obi and not his friends, Atiku and Tinubu. It’s as usual, a candid Pat Utomi interview, enjoy it…
How do you see the process playing out now, as we move close to another election?
I can’t tell. Maybe they will take out some people like Maduro. I will not say who they are taking out. But I have argued for many years again, which you know that I am not saying this for the first time, that international solidarity is such that many countries have very weak institutions and their citizens are literally hostage to the political class, and that the international community has a duty to have supranational institutions that can intervene in a country where democratic order is not seen. Again, to show how long I have been on that track, I often cite a meeting I had with the editorial board of the Christian Science Monitor in January 1997, when I was canvassing for an international criminal court. We were the ones who fought for this international criminal court in Boston. And the editorial board, after I finished making my presentation, said, ah, Pat, you are too idealistic. It will never happen. There will never be an international criminal court. Two years later, it happened. The Rome Treaty. So, give me some credit.
I have been of this view for a long time. So, when I say some people could be taken out, I actually believe that there is a duty to take out African leaders who basically have killed their people, killed their morale, killed their spirit of democracy. They can’t even have elections. Look at the morons in Guinea, and you can go on and on, and so many around Africa. Look at even Alassane Ouattara in Côte d’Ivoire. A really humane president of the United States has my support if he flies in and takes out all these money cartels. This is human solidarity.
Would you admit that it’s not been so bad with the Tinubu administration? If you were to look critically at the scorecard, would you admit that they have done well in some ways?
On what scores? Because there’s never everything is bad or everything is good. It’s always going to be a mixed bag anytime, anywhere.
So, how do you see the recent move by the American president on Venezuela? What’s your view on that?
I don’t have a specific view on that one because I don’t have all the information they have, but the principle I just explained that I was canvassing already in 1997….because if the people can’t vote, their government has stifled their ability to vote. People are beaten up when they come to vote. Like what happened in Lagos in 2023. Can you call what happened there democracy? So, if a foreign power that is humane comes in and takes out the leaders of Lagos and takes them to jail in America, they will have my support. And I’m not doing it because of Jide Sanwo-Olu. I said this in 1997. That’s principle, that’s consistency.
Would I be correct to say that you’re still a member of the ADC?
Yes, I am.
So, how do you see it? Because people have also criticized the coalition that it seems it’s just a combination of people who are disgruntled, who are complaining about Tinubu…?
Nigeria is a place full of people who talk nonsense. They just talk nonsense. They are disgruntled. So, what are you? You are not disgruntled? Oh, boy. You can’t bring saints, if you bring saints, they’ll say, no, politics is not about saints. It doesn’t matter what you do, they will talk nonsense. So, just ignore them and keep going.
And how do you also feel knowing that most of the key players in all the parties are people you’ve known for a long period of time?
Almost all of them, yes. … Atiku, I used to be able to walk into his bedroom. I sat on the board of his university. I have absolutely nothing against him. He’s a man I like. He’s my friend. In 2007 that I even ran, I wanted him to win. It’s all about my principle on the subject of the age of the man that should be the president of this country. Same with Tinubu, I have nothing against him, but they’re both over 70, and for me, that’s a no. Nigeria is a country and not personal wins. I don’t know. People don’t understand principles. Now I’m beginning to understand why, you know. In 1982, as I came back from the U.S., I told this story at another interview today. Three departments were trying to get me at the University of Lagos to come and teach. My friends in political science who were on sabbatical in the US were trying to get me. Mass Comm people were trying to get me. One Professor in Business too was also after me. One of my friends, Professor Umoh was also on my case….everybody was trying to get me.
One day I went to see Professor Onwurele who was head of department of Mass Communication. He looked at me and said, I feel sorry for you, you’re going to have a very hard time in this country. I said, why do you think so? He said articulate people make enemies very easily. Just envy. And you’re an articulate person, you’re going to have a hard time in a country like this. I kept thinking of this for forty years literally. A few months ago, I called him. I said, look, there was something you said to me in 1982, I don’t know if you remember. And I told him. He laughed. He said that means you survived (laughs). So, I don’t know, I’m just thankful to God for everything.
But how bright do you think the prospects of the opposition are considering the gale of defections going on across the country and the whole thing looking like we’re headed for a one party state?
Have you checked the last elections? How many APC governors held their states? Check, most of them lost their states. Nigerian people are not voting for those characters. The only thing is that the system allows most of them who are idiots in their mind sets to brutally go and change results, that’s all. So, my suspicion is that their plan is, if you have enough governors who are like Wike, they can go and take the results and change it. But it’s not going to be quite that easy. If it happens, there won’t be a Nigeria, I want to assure you that. It won’t exist. Tomahawks will be coming from different countries and landing on Nigeria. I want to assure you of that, I have been on that campaign trail for a long time.
