Renowned professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, has ruled out any future involvement in Nigerian politics, stating he will not contest elections or accept government appointments or contracts.
Utomi made the declaration on Friday during an interview on Politics Today aired on Channels Television.
“Let me state clearly: I will not run for public office, I will not accept an appointment, contract by any government in Nigeria. My only concern is the well-being of the next generation,” he said.
Utomi added that his decision was rooted in a lifelong commitment to integrity.
“I have lived my life decently without government money or stealing anybody’s thing. I want to take that away from people who talk nonsense like, ‘Oh, he is looking for a contract’,” he said.
He also discussed the importance of citizen-led accountability, describing the idea of a shadow government as a democratic solution to Nigeria’s governance issues.
“Nothing can be more democratic than a group of citizens coming together to find a structured way of asking the government to be more accountable,” Utomi said.
Urging Nigerians to engage with civic data, he highlighted the significance of the Afrobarometer survey, which has tracked public opinion across African nations since 1999.
“It states that Africans still love democracy, cling to it but they are tired because their democracies are not working,” he noted.
Utomi lamented that democracy in Nigeria has lost its meaning, saying, “The point is that our democracy does not have meaning. The purpose of serving the people is lost. It’s about individual gain or power.”
He called for a revival of democratic values, encouraging political actors, especially the All Progressives Congress, to support efforts toward genuine democratic reform.
“My expectation is that something like this will be hailed by the All Progressives Party, especially if you go back to the root of the APC,” Utomi added.
