Renowned political economist Pat Utomi has said he would withdraw his political support from Peter Obi if the former Anambra State governor accepts a vice-presidential slot ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
Utomi made the declaration on Thursday night during an appearance on Politics Today, a political affairs programme aired by Channels Television, amid growing debate over Obi’s political future following his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Okay News reports that Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, formally announced his exit from the party on Wednesday in Enugu, south-east Nigeria.
At the event, Obi described his move to the ADC as the beginning of a mission to “rescue our country and set it on the path of proper socio-economic development.”
The decision has since sparked intense conversations within Nigeria’s political space, with supporters and critics questioning whether Obi would seek the presidency again or consider a supporting role within a broader coalition. Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, was among those who raised concerns, particularly about zoning arrangements and the presence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar within the ADC fold.
Addressing the speculation directly, Utomi dismissed any possibility of Obi contesting as a running mate.
“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, who has long positioned himself as an advocate of political reform, said the stakes of the 2027 election go beyond party alignments, arguing that Nigeria’s leadership crisis is also tied to the age and physical capacity of those occupying executive offices.
“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,” he said.
He criticised both the immediate past and current administrations, suggesting that governance had suffered due to leadership incapacity.
“They don’t have the fitness to run the country. The last one, and the current one, have essentially been government-in-absentia leaders,” Utomi added.
Pushing for structural reform, the political economist said he would campaign for a constitutional age limit for executive positions.
“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 said.
