Pat Utomi, professor of political economy, has warned that attempts to manipulate the 2027 elections could trigger serious unrest in Nigeria.
He added that growing public concern on electoral
malpractice could have severe consequences.
In a post on X on Sunday, Utomi said he encountered strong
interest in electoral integrity during an informal town hall meeting in
Manchester, United Kingdom, where he attended a lunch to which Peter Obi,
presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), was invited.
Utomi said the gathering turned into a discussion on
Nigeria’s political challenges, with participants expressing concern over what
they perceived as the confidence of some public officials in their ability to
manipulate the 2027 elections.
“I am in the middle of an accidental town hall meeting in
Manchester in the UK. I came to a lunch to which Peter Obi was invited. I found
food I looked forward to deferred for questions on the trouble with Nigeria,”
he wrote.
He said several questions centred on concerns that some
politicians appeared to believe the outcome of the 2027 elections was already
settled.
“Many of the questions suggest worry about the boldness of
public officials in projecting rigging with results of elections of 2027
considered in the pocket,” Utomi said.
The professor added that participants wanted to know how
they could contribute to preventing electoral malpractice.
“They were energised to ask for how they could fight
rigging,” he stated.
Utomi warned that attempts to undermine the will of voters
could provoke a severe national crisis.
“The determination to do whatever will prevent election
malpractice suggests we may see a civil war if power tries to muscle the will
of the people this time,” he said.
Utomi has publicly supported Obi’s ambition to become
president in 2027 but has said he would withdraw his support if the former
Anambra governor accepts a vice-presidential position.
In an earlier post on X, Utomi said his backing was
specifically for Obi to contest the presidency, rather than serve as another
candidate’s running mate.
“Peter Obi has my support for the presidency. But my
position is clear, I am not supporting the idea of Peter Obi becoming somebody
else’s Vice President. The day Peter Obi accepts a Vice Presidential position,
I will walk away from his corner,” he said.
Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour
Party platform.
Utomi recently criticised the Tinubu administration over the
cost of living, arguing that rising petrol prices and low wages have worsened
the economic challenges confronting Nigerians.
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