Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress and Chief Convener of the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, Prof Pat Utomi, has said that anybody over 70 years should not run for elected office, describing the presidency as not “a geriatric home where public money can be spent on the president’s hospital bill.”
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The renowned economist and public affairs commentator, who recently clocked 70, made the remarks in an interview with PUNCH, where he spoke extensively on the country’s key challenges, his 70th birthday celebration, declining values, public trust, and the current administration.
When asked if he still has the ambition to run for the presidency in the near future, Prof Utomi said:
“I’m 70 years old. My view is that anybody over 70 should not run for elected office. The presidency is not a geriatric home where public money can be spent on the president’s hospital bill. I might look strong, but the truth is that we have to have objective ways of saying at a certain stage, maybe or maybe not.”
Prof Utomi expressed disappointment with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“First and foremost, one of my biggest disappointments with Bola Tinubu is that I thought he was politically savvy enough. They are all divided. So, any real mass leadership will find ways of trying to unite the elite and focus on one direction.
“But when you begin to express triumphalism, even when it’s clear you didn’t win the election, then the likelihood that you will make progress is slim. That was my first major shock. It affects development; it doesn’t matter what policies you put in place.
“The second one is that the policies in place today are too anxious to please Washington and Paris, and because of that, they don’t think independently enough about consequences. I told you about my reflection on SAP. It’s the same thing that they were offering at SAP that they are offering now, and they are swallowing it hook, line, and sinker.”
The professor criticised the President’s spending habits.
“As you can see, President Bola Tinubu is not showing a good example. He’s buying a new presidential jet, buying this funny-looking car, and all kinds of things — very wasteful expenditure of money. Taxation and representation go together because the essence of a tax relationship is accountability.
“So, if people pay higher taxes, they have to hold people accountable. You can’t have an overspending government talking about taxes. So, you jump at it. Washington says the tax ratio is low, so it’s time to collect taxes.”
When asked what advice he would give the President, Utomi said the first step was already flawed.
“It’s inappropriate right now. The first one is already flawed. The first one is to try to bring the elite together.
“Nigeria cannot be more divided than it is today, and he has contributed to it very deeply. This division makes progress difficult. Everything else falls. So, they have to rethink the strategy of bringing people together — unite Nigerian people for a common purpose.”
Prof Utomi identified leadership and institutional problems as major obstacles.
“It’s a little bit of leadership and an institutional problem. By the way, I wrote a book about why nations are poor, and there were a number of sets of variables that affected each other, which explain performance.
“One of them is institutions. Another one is human capital. If you don’t have the right human capital mix, you cannot advance, and then entrepreneurship. If people are not creating wealth, then poverty will persist.
“Another one is policy choices. The kind of policy decisions you make will determine whether you move forward or not. Then, there is culture because values shape human progress. The most important thing that leaders do is set the tone of the culture. That’s why if you don’t look at the character of people who become leaders, then you make a major mistake that can haunt you for a long time.”
Prof Utomi addressed why young Nigerians are reluctant to protest.
“But to be fair to young Nigerians, when they have tried to protest, the system has been enormously cruel, and civilians are much worse than soldiers. I demonstrated during the military regime, and the worst we expected would happen was tear gas.
“So, today, they don’t come with tear gas. They come to kill because they are ready to kill. From my house here on the decking, you can see the tollgate. I watched with my two eyes as they were shooting at the Lekki Tollgate, and there has been no consequence for politicians who ordered young people to be shot. I think these are some of the things we have to deal with.
“We may have to go back, even if it’s 20 years later, to prosecute political leaders who ordered unjust killings and try them at the International Criminal Court.”
When asked if he still has the strength to embark on street protests, Utomi was emphatic.
“I can do anything. I’m probably going to be in Abuja this week to join them at the National Assembly. A few days ago, we had a press conference on this National Assembly matter in Lagos. So, if they are still protesting, I will show up there.”
Prof Utomi lamented that almost every election since 1999 has been flawed.
“Everything needs to rest on that subject, and it’s not only the 2023 election. Almost every election since 1999 has been bad. I participated as a candidate in 2007. I recall meeting with former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, and former Canadian Prime Minister Martin, who were in the delegation of election observers.
“They thought the election was a complete farce, and we continue to mock ourselves. We don’t know that the world mocks us. We pretend. We go and carry out a civilian coup. And when you’ve had an exercise that people say is flawed, what you must do is a review. What went wrong? Has anybody in this government talked about 2023 when the whole world knows something went wrong?”
On governors defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress and whether anything different will happen in 2027, Utomi said:
“I think it’s God working for us. By the way, by the time they all pack themselves together in one boat, God will just sink the boat, and all of them will go (laughs). I truly believe that when they have finally entered the APC, then the election will be the people versus the APC. If all the people face APC politicians, then it’s not going to amount to anything.”
Prof Utomi reflected on reaching 70 years.
“It’s an opportunity to give thanks to God because I didn’t expect to make it to 70. Before, I was limited by the fact that my father passed away at 52. So, I was very sensitive, even though the real meaning of my name, Utomi, means long life.
“But we are in a situation where my father didn’t live a long life. He died at 52, and it was cancer, so that made me not think in depth for a very long time. It gives me hope. So, at 70 years, for me, is an opportunity for much thanksgiving to God.”
On whether Nigeria is truly ready for visionary leadership, Utomi said:
“Nigeria has always been ready for leadership. The problem is that the leaders have not quite come out of the way. If you offer leadership, people follow. Let’s just take the time Mahathir Mohamed came a few months ago; people showed themselves completely amenable to leadership.
“When Buhari was elected, people had expectations that he was a corruption fighter. After a few months, they found out that all those around Buhari were champions of bribery. So, everybody started, and the whole thing collapsed. We need a good leader, and the people will follow.”
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