Pat Utomi Gives Condition To Contest 2023 Presidency

Politician and economist, Professor Pat Utomi has declared that ordinarily, he may not join the race to participate in the 2023 presidency.

The former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) however said if he is called upon by the people of the southeast, he may not have a choice.

He submitted that the position itself has little attraction for him but the opportunity to serve may make him take up the challenge if the people of his region tip him to run for the position.

Naija News reports Utomi made his stand known during a chat on Saturday with Arise TV.

“If people come to me and say, ‘Look! We have looked at your background. We have looked at your whole life of service, and we think you are the candidate that the Igbo nation needs to offer to Nigeria, I would have no problem with that. But, am I driven by the very fact of position?” he said.

According to Utomi, he would rather not become the President of Nigeria and have his honour intact than become President and have his reputation soiled after leaving office.

“Look, there are people who have been President in Nigeria, who if you give me their place in history; I would rather never have held any office in Nigeria than be what history would remember them as. So, the fact of office and power has very little attraction to me as a person, but service to transform the lives of people matter to me,” he added.

His declaration comes amidst the agitation and calls for political parties to zone their presidential tickets to the southeast in the spirit of equity and fairness.