By Olaitan Ibrahim
Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, says he will no longer contest for any political office in Nigeria.
Utomi also made it clear that he will not accept any appointment or government contract.
He said this on Friday during an interview on Politics Today on a TV channel.
“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.
“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’,” Utomi said.
Speaking about the idea of a shadow government, he described it as a democratic way for citizens to come together and demand that the government be more 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. What could be more democratic than that?” he asked.
He encouraged Nigerians to read the Afrobarometer, a yearly survey that has collected opinions across African countries since 1999.
He said it gives deep insights into how citizens feel about democracy.
“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.
“I want all Nigerians and who really want to understand what has happened to our country to go and study the Afrobarometer readings,” he said.
According to Utomi, the data shows that Africans still believe in democracy but are tired and disappointed because it is not working well.
“It states that Africans still love democracy, cling to it but they are tired because their democracies are not working.
“Any serious democrat has to read this data, longitudinal data showing that people are fed up with what we call democracy,” he said.
He believed it is time to fix democracy in Nigeria and other African countries.
“So, trying to make democracy a fine renewal or revival should be something that any true democrat should embrace.
“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,” he added.
Utomi also said that Nigeria’s democracy has lost its meaning and no longer focuses on serving the people.
“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 added.