I Won’t Contest Or Accept Government Appointment In Nigeria Again – Utomi Says After Forming Shadow Government

Political economy professor Pat Utomi has definitively dismissed any plans to seek public office or accept government appointments in Nigeria, asserting that his priority is exclusively the welfare of future generations, not political aspirations or personal enrichment.

During an interview on Channels Television, Utomi underscored his commitment to staying untainted by the corruption he perceives as prevalent in the nation’s public sphere.

“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 declared. “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 contract.’”

Utomi also stressed the value of a shadow government as a mechanism for fostering democratic accountability, portraying it as a legitimate and organized approach for citizens to demand transparency and responsibility from those in authority. “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. What could be more democratic than that?” he questioned.

He further urged Nigerians to examine the Afrobarometer readings, a reputable public opinion survey that has monitored democratic sentiments across Africa since 1999, to gain deeper insight into the continent’s political trajectory. “I usually pre-phase this conversation with what we’ve done to the African. There are Afrobarometer readings, an annual survey that has been going on since 1999, of how Nigerians, Africans generally, in every country, with all kinds of details. I mean all kinds of details,” he stated.

“I want all Nigerians and who really want to understand what has happened to our country to go and study the Afrobarometer readings.”

Utomi pointed out that while Africans still cherish democracy, there is growing frustration over its inability to produce meaningful outcomes. “It states that Africans still love democracy, cling to it but they are tired because their democracies are not working,” he remarked. “Any serious democrat has to read this data, longitudinal data showing that people are fed up with what we call democracy.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli