Renowned political economist Professor Pat Utomi has declared he will never seek public office or accept government appointments in Nigeria, emphasizing his commitment to maintaining integrity in a system he views as fundamentally corrupt.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Utomi made his position unequivocal, “Let me state clearly, I will not run for public office, I will not accept an appointment, contract by any government in Nigeria. My only concern is the well-being of the next generation.”
The professor, known for his critiques of governance failures, added: “I have lived my life decently without government money or stealing anybody’s thing. I want to take that away from people who talk nonsense like, ‘Oh, he is looking for contract.’”
Utomi highlighted the value of shadow governments as accountability mechanisms:
“Nothing can be more democratic than a group of citizens coming together to find a structured way of asking the government to be more accountable. What could be more democratic than that?”
His comments come amid growing disillusionment with Nigeria’s democratic institutions, which he argued fails to deliver meaningful development despite constitutional frameworks.
The professor urged Nigerians to study Afrobarometer surveys tracking African democratic attitudes since 1999:
“I want all Nigerians who really want to understand what has happened to our country to go and study the Afrobarometer readings.”
Citing the data, Utomi noted a continental paradox: “It states that Africans still love democracy, cling to it but they are tired because their democracies are not working. Any serious democrat has to read this data, longitudinal data showing that people are fed up with what we call democracy.”
The 68-year-old academic and former presidential candidate has transitioned from active politics to advocacy, focusing on institutional reforms. His rejection of government roles reinforces his critique of Nigeria’s patronage system, where appointments are often viewed as avenues for personal enrichment rather than public service.
