You’re Dishonest If You Can’t Debate Your Opponents, Utomi Tells Tinubu

Professor Pat Utomi, a member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has challenged President Bola Tinubu to debate main contenders within the 2027 presidential election, insisting that public debates and direct engagement with Nigerians are important to democracy.

Utomi mentioned the president must be prepared to face alongside different presidential contenders and have interaction them in coverage discussions fairly than give excuses for avoiding such encounters.

Speaking throughout an interview on ARISE News Prime Time on Thursday, the political economist additionally urged Tinubu to go to state capitals and rural communities to work together immediately with Nigerians.

“If the president cares about the Nigerian people, he should stand in every state capital, go to some rural areas, pump hands with the people. That’s how we know democracy works,” he mentioned. Adding that “He should stand side by side with the major contestants for that same office and debate,” he mentioned.

Citing South Korea for example, Utomi recalled how debates throughout totally different platforms contributed to the nation’s democratic growth.

“We’ve talked a lot about South Korea and how South Korea’s democracy was rescued. The very electoral commission of South Korea advised their Nigerian counterparts when Professor Jega led them to visit years ago, that they rescued South Korea by ensuring that debates took place on the streets, in school halls, on television, and everywhere,” he mentioned.

The NDC member maintained that candidates in search of comparable public workplace should not prepared to interact their opponents on coverage points and clarify their proposals to voters then they’re being being dishonest

“If you can’t stand side by side by somebody contesting for the same position and engage in policy discussion, you have been totally dishonest to the people you are offering to serve,” he mentioned.

Utomi additionally expressed concern over what he described because the deterioration of Nigeria’s democracy, saying political leaders had been more and more given excuses as an alternative of being held accountable for his or her obligations.

“I tell you, I feel so bad, personally, in the struggle that I have put into nation-building in Nigeria, to watch our democracy deteriorate to the point where we spend most of our time nursing our leaders, and they give all kinds of excuses rather than accept that they are not well,” he mentioned.

Reflecting on earlier administrations, Utomi recalled his reservations about former President Muhammadu Buhari’s capability when he contested for workplace, saying he had hoped Buhari would deal with corruption.

He mentioned, “Look, I mentioned when General Buhari was going into energy, or was operating for workplace, at a degree, I recognised his capacities had been considerably diminished.

“And I held on to at least one skinny thread. He will combat corruption. It turned out he wasn’t current.

“He couldn’t fight anything. And Nigeria went back at least 40 years.”

Utomi additionally praised the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, describing him as a pacesetter whose presidency may have considerably benefited Nigeria, however lamented what he characterised as his absence from the obligations of workplace.

“Yar’Adua was a great, great person. And I’ve talked a lot about the exchanges, conversations that I had with him as president. Nothing could have done Nigeria a great good, or greater good, than a Yar’Adua presidency. But Yar’Adua was not present,” he mentioned.

He added that Nigeria was experiencing the same scenario once more, accusing political actors of constructing excuses fairly than addressing considerations about management and accountability.

Utomi additional argued that Nigerians ought to demand presidential debates throughout the nation as a part of the method of assessing candidates earlier than the 2027 elections.

“If the Nigerian people are real people, they will say that anybody who does not debate in the 36 states of the country is not fit to be a president,” he mentioned.

The feedback come as political rallies by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition events collect momentum forward of the 2027 basic elections.

LEADERSHIP reviews that throughout the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council on the State House in Abuja, Tinubu mentioned he would prioritise governance and may not attend all marketing campaign rallies organised by the social gathering.

According to the APC’s marketing campaign schedule, the president is anticipated to attend rallies in simply 12 cities throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones because the ruling social gathering prepares for the 2027 presidential election.