Politics

Why It’s Impossible For Nigeria To Make Progress With APC, PDP – Utomi

Published

3 years ago

January 9, 2023

Political economist, entrepreneur and politician, Professor Pat Utomi, has explained why it’s “literally impossible” for Nigeria to make progress with a leadership got from either the All Progressives Congress, APC, or the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Professor Utomi said it was all about why and how they chose candidates, which invariably lead to how both political parties have ended.

The don said these in an interview with The Niche.

According to the don, these two major political parties in the country treated power like tools of transactions, with candidates not carrying any ideology.

In his words: “Now, with all of these problems staring at us, Nigerian political parties missed the script.

“The script is that a political party is a source of recruitment of the best available talents into groups that have competing ideas of how to order society.

“So, this idea, which is called ideology says that you can use state control to achieve a lot. And yes you can. It depends on how you manage that process.

“Another group says you can use markets to achieve a lot. And yes you can. It depends on how you run the markets and the institutions that support the markets.

“But the political parties that Nigerian politicians came with believe in nothing.

“It was just machine politics – the machine for capturing power, usually financed by a few people who are big men who take money mainly from the treasury of the state.

“And so, these parties came to be tools in their nature in terms of how they dominate the politics but they did not manage them to create a developmental notion of society.

“Seeking power between them now became a series of transactions. ‘Okay, I will give you Nigerian Ports Authority, you will get NIMASA, and you will get Airports Authority’.

“They share everything, as APC and PDP are doing now. They share government and the mindset of those who are investing to get their share is to loot.

“So, the developmental nature of the state is lost.

“They will make some pronouncements because they need legitimacy – ‘oh, government will do this for the people’.

“But as you are seeing clearly, Nigeria has been moving progressively backwards.

“So, the nature and structure of these political parties basically got us to a point where it has become implausible, not impossible, that something coming out of the PDP or the APC could lead to Nigeria making a major leap forward.

“And you can see it in the nature of how they choose their candidates, which is what brought us to the no alternative scenario that we have come to.

“Even though there are quite a number of good people that could have come out of the APC, the APC process necessarily had to end up where it ended.

“Even though there are quite a number of good people in the PDP, the PDP process had to end up where it ended.”

Politics

Use Edo By-election As Template For APC’s Victory In 2027, Idahosa Urges Residents

Published

8 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

Deputy governor of Edo State Hon Dennis Idahosa, has urged the people to show their readiness to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 general elections by using the House of Representatives bye-election scheduled for August 16 as a template.

Idahosa hinged his call on the fact that Governor Monday Okpebholo had shown his readiness for governance within a year in office and deserved to be supported by the people.

The deputy governor stated this when the APC campaign team birthed at Uhiere, Okokhuo, and Isiuwa, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, the Ovia Federal Constituency bye-election is for the people to show “capacity” and nothing more.

“The Executive Governor of our dear state, and my Principal, Monday Okpebholo, by the grace of God, through your support, has promised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2.5 million votes.

“The efficacy of that promise starts on August 16 with the Ovia Federal Constituency bye-election.

“This is not a normal election, it is an election to show capacity. The results you give to Omosede unlocks the key to accessing the dividends of democracy.

“The margin of winning is important. This is why we are all here to convince you to ensure that we get at least 70 percent votes from the registered voters in this area,” he stated.

The deputy governor who led the APC team for the campaign said the party’s candidate, Hon Omosede Igbinedion, had the capacity to entrench the dividends of democracy to the area.

At Isiuwa, NIFOR Community, Idahosa praised the people for making the area an APC stronghold.

He said he was not there for the campaign but to introduce their daughter to them and asked them for their support to the party’s candidate for the bye-election.

Similarly, Idahosa also appealed to the people of Okokhuo community for support.

Omosede who was full of praises in visited wards, said “this is the first time, in a long while, since 2015, I am here with a broom, a symbol of development and advancement.

“You know, the umbrella is tattered and scattered, and you know the PDP has fallen. I am grateful to you all who took the time to be here.”

She told the people to hold her accountable for every campaign promise she made.

Politics

2027: Jonathan May Get Automatic Ticket, If… – PDP

Published

18 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is reportedly considering offering former President Goodluck Jonathan an automatic ticket to contest the 2027 presidential election, if he returns to the party and plays a more active political role.

This was revealed by Daniel Woyengikuro, the PDP’s National Financial Secretary, during an exclusive interview in Abuja. Woyengikuro emphasized Jonathan’s continued influence within the party and the nation’s politics, describing him as the PDP’s national leader.

“Is he not the best candidate for us at this moment? He is not just a former president; he is the leader of the party now. Aside from [former President Olusegun] Obasanjo, the next person in line is him. Goodluck Jonathan is the national leader of this party,” Woyengikuro said.

He confirmed that the PDP has been consulting with Jonathan and his associates, aiming to bring him back into the party’s mainstream leadership as part of a larger strategy to reposition the party and address Nigeria’s growing political and economic challenges.

“Nigeria has reached a point where we need to salvage this country — for our generation and for those to come,” Woyengikuro added. “When we talk about the Southern Presidency, someone like Goodluck Jonathan stands out.”

When asked directly if the party would consider granting Jonathan an automatic ticket, Woyengikuro responded emphatically:

“For me, that’s what I firmly stand for. You can quote me anywhere — I want him to come. An automatic ticket for him, as it stands now. Because we must salvage both this party and the nation.”

He further asserted that Jonathan’s return would significantly reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.

Woyengikuro also praised Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, calling him a “vibrant leader” and a strong candidate from the South capable of bridging Nigeria’s generational divide.

“These are the two main individuals I stand for: Goodluck Jonathan and Seyi Makinde,” he concluded.

The PDP is expected to intensify its internal consultations in the coming months as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Politics

PDP Announces National Convention Zoning Committee Inauguration Date

Published

18 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The People’s Democratic Party, on Wednesday, announced that the inauguration of its National Convention Zoning Committee will take place on Thursday, August 14, 2025, as part of preparations for its 2025 Elective National Convention.

The party invites key stakeholders to a significant event aimed at shaping the party’s future leadership structure.

This is contained in a press release by PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, on the party’s official X account.

The inauguration is scheduled to start at 12:00 pm WAT at the NEC Hall, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

The event will bring together PDP governors, members of the Board of Trustees, the National Working Committee, the National Executive Council, serving and former National Assembly members, as well as other key stakeholders.

“This is to formally inform and invite all our governors, BOT, NWC, NEC, serving and former NASS members, and all our stakeholders to the inauguration of the National Convention Zoning Committee (NCZC) of our great party,” the statement read.