Politics

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

Published

3 years ago

January 9, 2023

Editor

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

Defection: Peter Obi Simply Looking For ‘Food Is Ready’ Party – Wike

Published

5 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent defection.

Speaking during a media parley on Wednesday, Wike said Obi is looking for a ‘food is ready’ political party.

The minister said, “Obi was in APGA, he couldn’t build APGA. He went to Labour, he ran away again from Labour. All he’s looking for is food is ready political party.”

Recall that Obi and Rabi’u Kwankwaso, former presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, on Sunday officially joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Politics

2027: Nobody Wants Fubara – Wike

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that there is widespread support for Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to return in 2027.

Speaking during his monthly media parley on Wednesday in Abuja, Wike suggested that Fubara can’t claim to enjoy unanimous backing from the public.

He explained that the political crisis in Rivers State had earlier been addressed through the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, particularly during impeachment proceedings initiated against Fubara.

According to Wike, the President advised all parties to embrace peace, leading to the withdrawal of the impeachment move by the State House of Assembly after agreements were reached.

Wike, however, alleged that the governor failed to fully adhere to the terms agreed during the arbitration process.

Reacting to claims that the people were urging Fubara to seek re-election in 2027, Wike rejected the assertion, insisting that such narratives were misleading.

Wike maintained that appearing before the President for arbitration required respect for the outcome, noting that all parties were expected to uphold their commitments.

He said: “The President, intervened in the impeachment proceeding. I said withdraw, let their be peace. And the governor said, look, I’m ready for peace. Look, I’m no longer interested for this. I will not do this. The Assembly went and withdrew the impeachment.

“Having withdrawn the impeachment, he is now too smart on what you agreed before the President. It’s like when you go on arbitration.”

Wike continued, “This one is what I don’t like. Nobody wants anybody. Please, don’t tell me that. Excuse me.

You can go and tell that to the market people or children. Two years that people say he should come out. Who told you that?

“Which politician will say that I was sleeping they came and woke me? Even if people people come to wake you, can’t you say, no, I won’t do it. I’m not prepared for it.

“That you appeared before a President of the country on arbitration, the two parties on arbitration, and these people respected Mr. President, and have done their own part.”

Politics

2027: Wike Opens Up On Preferred Rivers Guber Candidate

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday said he hasn’t endorsed any candidate for the Rivers state gubernatorial election in 2027.

Wike stated this on Wednesday during his monthly media parley in Abuja.

Wike said that the endorsement will come only after a meeting by the joint coalition in the state.

He said: “I haven’t endorsed anybody. And I can’t endorse anybody until the joint coalition meets.”

DAILY POST reports that questions have been raised concerning the fate of current governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in 2027.

The FCT Minister was reported to have endorsed former State Commissioner for Works, Alabo Dakorinama George Kelly, as his preferred candidate for the Rivers State governorship election.

Sources told DAILY POST that Wike settled for George after a closed-door meeting with key political stakeholders in Port Harcourt on Monday.