Political economist, Prof Pat Utomi, has said he would dissociate himself from former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, if the former Anambra State governor ever agrees to become a vice-presidential candidate.
Utomi made this statement on Thursday while featuring on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.
He was reacting to Obi’s recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Utomi, he is convinced that Obi will contest for the presidency in 2027 and should not settle for a secondary role.
“I can tell you that Peter Obi will contest for the presidency come the 2027 general elections. The day he becomes somebody’s running mate, I will walk away from his corner. I can tell you that for a fact,” he said.
Utomi also criticised what he described as the declining physical fitness of recent Nigerian presidents, warning that the country’s highest office should not be treated as a retirement destination.
“Something very important for 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.
“This is not acceptable. They don’t have the fitness to run the country. The last one and even the current one do not have the fitness to run the affairs of this great nation,” he added.
