Pat Utomi, a professor of political economy, says he will withdraw his support for Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, if he accepts a vice-presidential slot in the 2027 elections.
Utomi made the position known on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
His comments followed Obi’s announcement on Wednesday in Enugu that he had formally defected from the LP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
At the Enugu event, Obi said the decision to join the ADC marked the beginning of a mission to “rescue our country and set it on the path of proper socio-economic development.”
The defection has continued to generate reactions from political allies and opponents, including Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation, who questioned zoning arrangements and the involvement of Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, within the party.
Speaking on the programme, Utomi rejected suggestions of a vice-presidential role for Obi and warned that such a move would end his backing.
“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,” he said.
Utomi also advocated the introduction of an age limit for presidential contenders, proposing a maximum of 70 years for executive offices.
He criticised recent governments, arguing that the office of the president had been turned into what he described as a “retirement home.”
“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.
“They don’t have the fitness to run the country. The last one, and the current one, have essentially been government-in-absentia leaders.
“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.”
Utomi was also present in Enugu on Wednesday when the former Anambra governor formally announced his defection to the ADC.