Political economist and public affairs analyst Pat Utomi has declared that Nigeria urgently needs a people-centered government, insisting that the current economic reality is crushing ordinary citizens and deepening inequality across the country.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News following the opposition summit in Ibadan, Utomi said the worsening economic hardship has strengthened the resolve of many Nigerians and opposition leaders to push for a new political direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, “We must return government back to the people.”
He recounted a personal experience in Ibadan where he spent a huge amount to fill his car’s fuel tank and reflected on the painful contrast with the reality that about 58 percent of Nigerians earn ₦100,000 or less monthly.
He said the amount spent on fuel was nearly two and a half times what many citizens survive on in an entire month.
“This is the most uneven society that we live in,” he lamented, questioning how a nation could care so little for its vulnerable population.
Utomi criticized what he described as a leadership culture that ignores citizens’ suffering while prioritizing luxury spending such as expensive official vehicles and presidential jets, even as Nigerians struggle under inflation, rising fuel costs, and economic policies he said have failed to improve lives.
He warned that “state capture” is becoming more entrenched and stressed that people who genuinely care about the nation must unite to stop it.
“Enough is enough. We want a new way, we want a new path, we want a new Nigeria that works for everyone,” he said.
He emphasized that the starting point must be inclusion, noting that opposition leaders must first demonstrate unity themselves if they hope to inspire national confidence.
On the question of which opposition candidate could challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, Utomi responded with a surprise remark, asking, “What makes you so sure that APC would field Tinubu as a candidate?”
He suggested that Tinubu could decide to withdraw from the race or that the All Progressives Congress itself might present a different candidate.
Regarding the opposition coalition, Utomi said the people are clearly demanding something different from the old political order.
“This time around, Nigerians are saying, this is what we want, and you opposition leaders must get your acts together. We want something new. We want something different.”
He acknowledged that politicians naturally have ambitions, but insisted that democracy ultimately belongs to the people, whose frustrations and suffering cannot be ignored.
According to him, there are leaders with what he described as “moral ambition,” whose sense of responsibility is shaped by the pain of the people rather than personal political gain.
Utomi also referenced the “Doctrine of Necessity” that paved the way for former President Goodluck Jonathan to assume full presidential powers during the illness of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, noting that some of the same political actors involved in that process are now part of the current coalition efforts.
He expressed confidence that their experience could help navigate the present political moment and shape a credible alternative for Nigeria’s future.
