Pat Utomi Speaks On Endorsing Candidates In 2027

A former presidential candidate and political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, has said his focus remains on building a broader policy platform through the Big Tent initiative.

Naija News reports that Utomi, speaking on Arise TV, said the initiative would develop a national manifesto and identify credible candidates across party lines.

He stated this while explaining his position on recent political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to Utomi, the Big Tent will support candidates who demonstrate competence, capacity and the right disposition to pursue national development.

Utomi said, “What we have done is to continue this process within the Big Tent to do a manifesto for Nigeria, which we can get political actors socialised into.

“And those political actors who have the capacity, the competence, and disposition, who are willing to walk that path, we will endorse, even if they came from this party or that party. As the Big Tent, we would endorse such candidates.”

Utomi criticised what he described as Nigeria’s habit of suppressing capable people in politics. He said the country often mistakes long political stay for genuine experience.

He further stated, “But what has happened, which is tragic for Nigeria in a way, is that in the age of the aristocracy of talent, Nigeria manages to keep depressing talent.

“Smart, capable people in our country, instead of being pushed buddy-buddy… the system somehow brings this silly argument that ‘This person has experience.’ What nonsense experience!”

The scholar said many political actors who claim to have experience have not contributed meaningfully to national progress.

Utomi said, “That political process is full of people who have one year of experience repeated so many times, and they claim they have experience.

“And they stay in the way of talent, and it constricts Nigeria from progress. I feel that we must break that.”

Utomi Seeks Action On Defections

Utomi also called for stronger regulation of political defections.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take a firmer position against frequent party switching, saying the practice undermines political accountability.

“Even in this process, we’ve seen characters jump from one party to another.

“Look, I don’t always agree with INEC, but this is one stance where I would like INEC to win and stop all these characters jumping from one party to the other because they have no experience.

“The only experience they have is preventing Nigeria from progress,” he stated.