I won’t contest, accept appointment in Nigerian govt again — Pat Utomi

Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, has declared that he will no longer contest for any political office or accept appointments or contracts from the Nigerian government.

Utomi made the statement on Friday during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, where he emphasised that his sole focus now is the well-being of future generations and the restoration of meaningful democratic governance in Nigeria.

ALSO READ: Four-year-old Caleb Nnaetochukwu Utomi needs N25m for bone marrow transplant

“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 principle, noting he had lived a life free of corruption and sought to distance himself from speculation about seeking political gains.

“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 stated.

On the concept of a shadow government, Utomi said it was a democratic mechanism for citizens to hold elected leaders accountable.

“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,” he noted.

He urged Nigerians to study the Afrobarometer—an annual public opinion survey across African countries since 1999—for deeper insights into the continent’s democratic health. According to him, the data shows that while Africans still desire democracy, they are increasingly frustrated with its dysfunction.

“It states that Africans still love democracy, cling to it, but they are tired because their democracies are not working,” he said.

Utomi lamented that Nigeria’s democracy has lost its core values and has become a tool for self-interest rather than public service.

“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 said, adding that it was time for a democratic revival in Nigeria and across Africa.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE