Renowned Political Economist, Professor Patrick Utomi has again cast aspersions on the current Nigeria’s political processes, arguing that it cannot produce credible political office holders.
He also accused the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding with politicians to perpetuate electoral fraud.
Speaking on the topic ‘State of Nation’ on African Independent Television (AIT) breakfast programme Kaakaki, Prof. Utomi alleged that the present electoral processes can only produce political merchants.
Said he: “Only rogues can win elections in Nigeria because the electoral umpire collude with politicians to perpetuate electoral fraud. For example, during elections politicians connive with electoral umpire to disenfranchise non- indigenes
on election day”.
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Prof. Utomi who is also Co-Chair, National Consultative Front (NCF), an emerging political pressure group claimed that non- indigenes’ names disappear from voter’s register overnight while others are subjected to the rigour of having to go from one polling station to another to look for their names invain.
The Delta state-born former Spokesman of defunct Volkswagen Nigeria insisted that genuine people are denied the opportunity to lead while the fraudulent politicians always have their ways.
He however revealed that NCF is out to change the narratives even as he advocated that political parties should be different from what presently obtains in Nigeria.
According to him, the existing political parties in Nigeria cannot meet the expectations of the citizens just as he said he is not regretting being one of the brains behind the formation of All Progressives Congress (APC) which produced the government at the center.
“I don’t have any regret playing some part in the coming of APC, if one falls seven times, he should get up eight times to continue the struggle.”, Prof. Utomi insisted.
