2027: ‘Smart move’ – Pat Utomi hails Peter Obi for escaping alleged trap

Scholar, activist, and former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, has said that Peter Obi moving from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, was a good Idea.

According to him, the former Labour Party presidential candidate would have been trapped.

Utomi said with what was seen happened in the ADC with some of their presidential aspirants such as Chibuike Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-deen complaining after the primaries and rejecting the outcome, it was a pretty smart move on the part of the former Anambra State governor.

DAILY POST reports that Peter Obi is now officially the presidential candidate of the NDC.

He was formally handed the party’s flag at the weekend and he went ahead to announce former Kano governor and the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate.

Speaking on Arise News, Utomi said, “Even though we had polling that suggested he would defeat the other candidates within ADC, but if the main players would allow a proper process. 

“Let’s be very frank, both the way the process has been managed generally across the board makes all the primary processes a complete farce…

“More or less, imposing people, so they go through these processes, as you know, make believe in a democratic process.”

Amaechi was one of the notable Nigerians who joined the coalition party, the ADC and declared his interest to run for the presidency in 2027.

However, Amaechi lost the primary election of the party to former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is now the party’s flag-bearer for the general election.

After the primary elections, Amaechi rejected the results, alleging widespread electoral malpractice and irregularities.

He vowed to challenge the result but has been silent ever since Atiku paid him a visit at his home in Abuja.