Prof Pat Utomi, a political economist, has publicly declared that he would withdraw his support from the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, if he decides to become someone’s running mate.
During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Thursday night, Utomi made the remark.
Recall that on Wednesday, Peter Obi declared his official defection from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress in Enugu.
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The former presidential candidate, who received almost six million votes and finished third in the 2023 general election, declared at the occasion that joining the ADC was the start of a journey to “rescue our country and set it on the path of proper socio-economic development.”
However, some supporters and critics, including the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, have questioned the move, drawing concerns about the zoning of the party’s presidential candidacy, particularly with the membership of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the same party.
Speaking on the programme, Utomi ruled out a vice-presidential slot for Obi, saying he would “walk away” if the former Anambra State governor became a vice-presidential candidate.
“I can tell you that Peter Obi will contest for the presidency. The day he becomes somebody’s vice president, I walk away from his corner. I can tell you that for a fact,” he said.
Utomi also criticised the administrations of former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, arguing that age restrictions for presidential candidates should be placed at 70 years old. He claimed that many candidates saw the presidency as a “retirement home.”
“Something important about this election to bear in mind is that the Nigerian presidency has become a retirement home where people go for the Nigerian state to pay their medical bills. It is not acceptable.
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“They don’t have the fitness to run the country. The last one, and the current one, have essentially been government-in-absentia leaders.
“I, Pat Utomi, am insisting that I will canvass to the Nigerian people that nobody over the age of 70 should run for an executive position, whether it be governor or president,” he concluded.
“This is not acceptable. They don’t have the fitness to run the country. The last one and even the current one do not have the fitness to run the affairs of this great nation,” he said.
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