Photo: Prof Pat Utomi
By: Mandy Park
Political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, has declared that he would withdraw his support for former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, should the latter agree to run as a vice-presidential candidate in the 2027 general election.
Utomi made the statement on Thursday while speaking on Politics Today, a programme aired on Channels Television. He maintained that Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, would seek the presidency in 2027 following his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
His remarks were a response to claims by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, that Obi had accepted to emerge as the vice-presidential running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the ADC platform—an assertion Utomi firmly dismissed.
“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,” Utomi said.
In the interview, the political economist also advocated age limits for top political offices, proposing that presidential and governorship candidates should not be older than 70 years.
He further criticised the leadership style of recent administrations, describing the presidency as increasingly resembling a “retirement home,” and characterised both the Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu administrations as “government in absentia.”
