Political economist Prof. Pat Utomi has declared that he would immediately withdraw his support for Peter Obi if the former Anambra State governor accepts a vice-presidential slot in the 2027 general election.
Utomi made the statement on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, insisting that Obi will contest the presidency in 2027 following his formal defection from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday.
His remarks were in response to claims by Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, that Obi had agreed to run as Atiku Abubakar’s vice-presidential candidate on the ADC platform an allegation Utomi firmly rejected.
“I can tell you that Peter Obi will contest for the presidency. The day he becomes somebody’s vice president, I walk away from his corner. I can tell you that for a fact,” Utomi said.
Beyond the 2027 race, Utomi also advocated age limits for top executive offices, calling for a maximum age of 70 years for presidential and gubernatorial candidates.
He criticised what he described as the growing tendency to turn the Nigerian presidency into a “retirement home,” arguing that recent administrations have suffered from leadership absenteeism.
“Something important about this election to bear in mind is that the Nigerian presidency has become a retirement home where people go for the Nigerian state to pay their medical bills. It is not acceptable,” he said.
Utomi described both the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and the current Tinubu government as “government in absentia,” questioning their ability to effectively run the country.
“I, Pat Utomi, am insisting that I will canvass to the Nigerian people that nobody over the age of 70 should run for an executive position, whether it be governor or president,” he added.
Peter Obi, who placed third in the 2023 presidential election with over six million votes, officially announced his defection to the ADC in Enugu on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, Obi said his move marked the beginning of a mission to rescue Nigeria from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Today is an important day; today is the last day of 2025, so we are ending this year with the hope that, in 2026, we will begin a journey to rescue our country and set it on the path of proper socio-economic development that will be unifying and inclusive,” Obi said.
He also accused elements within Nigeria’s political elite of undermining democracy through coercion and intimidation of the opposition, vowing to resist such practices.
