Pat Utomi Praises Peter Obi’s Decision to Leave ADC

Academic and political economist, Pat Utomi, said that former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, made a strategic and timely decision by leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he described as a necessary escape from a compromised political process.

Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Utomi said the recent controversies within the ADC further cemented fears that the internal processes of the party were already skewed. He said political manoeuvring by influential actors has increasingly undermined the credibility of party primaries in Nigeria.

“In the light of hindsight… it was almost a foregone conclusion that it was going to go in a particular direction. So it was a pretty smart move on his part,” he added.

Utomi said he was out of the country when Obi’s political realignment took place and was not aware of the plans beforehand. He said he had initially advised political actors aligned with Obi to stay within the ADC and test their strength via internal competition.

“I was out of the country when the move happened. I didn’t know about the plans,” he said, adding that he had previously argued that remaining within the party would have been the best way to challenge internal structures.

However, he said the developments within the ADC suggested deeper issues with internal democracy, which, in his view, validated Obi’s decision to exit.

“But I was also very aware of games that were being played… a very undemocratic kind of process being used to prevent a certain candidate from being on the ballot,” he said.

He added that at the time of the election, polling data indicated that Obi had good chances of winning a party ticket if a transparent process had been allowed. But power brokers often trump such results, he said.
“Party hierarchies and bosses” have turned internal elections into a “make-believe democratic process,” he said.

In the interview, Utomi also took the opportunity to underscore wider issues with Nigeria’s political system, which he said invariably stifles talent, while promoting recycled political actors without new ideas or any record of performance.

“What we have done is to continue this process within the Big Tent to do a manifesto for Nigeria,” he said, explaining that the initiative would focus on identifying credible candidates across party lines based on competence and vision rather than party affiliation.

The movement will back candidates who commit to governance reforms, regardless of their political platform, he said.

The scholar also criticised Nigeria’s political culture, saying it is too much driven by ambition for office and not service. This attitude has sapped the strength of opposition politics and helped lead to national stagnation, he argued.

“This obsession with power and public office is a disease,” he said, calling for a fundamental change in political attitudes.

On electoral reforms, Utomi said the issue of live transmission of results from polling units was an initiative of the Big Tent and not the NDC as reported in some quarters. “The plan is still being developed as part of a broader effort to strengthen transparency through multiple independent monitoring channels,” he said.

He also called for tighter regulations on political defections, saying that frequent party switching erodes accountability and weakens democratic institutions.

While criticising the system, Utomi said Nigeria still has the capacity for renewal if competent leadership is allowed to emerge through credible processes.