Pat Utomi, the convener of the National Consultative Front, has claimed that there is no political party in Nigeria.
Utomi, a professor of political economics, said this during his appearance on Arise TV on Tuesday morning.
When asked about the opposition’s plan for the 2027 general election, Utomi said it was inappropriate to talk about another election at this time.
He added that governance should be focused on now, saying Nigeria is not a working democracy.
The professor said that there can’t be a political party in Nigeria without a working democracy.
“I can say without any feeling of wrong that we don’t have a political party in Nigeria today,” he said.
Utomi said the political parties in Nigeria since 1999 are platforms for machine politics; it is about grabbing power, rightly or wrongly. He added that the parties lack developmental programmes and objectives for the country.
Speaking about the plans of the opposition parties to form a merger ahead of the 2027 election, Utomi said he had discussions with Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his counterparts in the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso.
When asked if the opposition coalition would support Atiku or Peter Obi in 2027, he said the people would determine that at the right time.
Utomi acknowledged that he is a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but pulled out when it started derailing. He added that he is a friend of President Bola Tinubu but they haven’t communicated in the last five years.
