Current APC, Not What We Hoped For At Inception – Prof. Utomi Speaks Out

Here are excerpts from the chat;

You ran for the presidency twice, first in 2007 on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) party and in 2011, Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP). Why the step down to the governorship race?

My involvement in politics is an evolution so it is important to start it from the beginning. During the June 12 crisis, we started a group known as The Concerned Professionals. It came out of something I wrote titled ‘We Must Say Never Again’. That led to my argument that professionals and the citizens should not leave governance to a group of soldiers and hustling politicians.

All that led to confronting the military and when the military finally withdrew, the question became, what should be done now? Our group was split into, one said let’s go in and show what we have been talking about, the other said ‘let’s leave politics to politicians.’ I was of the position that we should leave politics to politicians.

So, what changed your position?

Unfortunately, the politicians we trusted didn’t trust the military so they didn’t come out, so the country was taken over by those who took it over and as you can guess the result has been frightening. But by 2003 we knew we cannot keep watching that we must do something. So The Concerned Professionals formed a political party and took over the ADC initiative and felt that I symbolise that trust in the run. After 2007 which was a complete disaster in the sense that there was no election, even the international community agree to this.

After that process, Chief Anthony Enahoro began a process of trying to bring the progressives together. His argument was that the way things were going that he needed all the progressives together, all the presidential candidates and their deputies so that they can discuss and give up their claims for the other so that they would form a progressive alliance. Chief Olu Falae said he trusted me the most for that.

So I was ‘prevailed’ upon to become candidate and be the one to manage that process. Unfortunately, that process didn’t work out as well. By 2013, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said to me that we have to try again, that we should go and see Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. That is how the process that led to the founding of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took place.

In other words, you are a founding member of the APC?

Of course yes, I was a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) when the APC was founded, we were trying to merge. My protest has been simple and straightforward, opposition, and politics for change. I don’t change political party; when the political party cannot bring change from within, I will withdraw and leave partisan political life.

Talking about change and moving the country forward, do you think the APC government has done this in the last three years?

I helped found the APC and we had our ideals. Has it been 100 percent what we hoped for? Far from it. Have we been unhappy at many points? Yes indeed, but everything is about evolution. In the Conservative and Labour parties in England, they have those they call backbenchers. These are people who are not happy with the things that are going on in the party and want a different thrust.

The Labour Party was floundering and doing so terribly and the backbenchers were in revolt until Tony Blair and Gordon Brown worked out some kind of third wing coalition that brought the Labour Party out of the doldrums. In that same way, I am convinced that if we are serious as political actors, we can find people who are not happy with the way things are going in our party to join hands together and we can make a difference. That is exactly what I am trying to do with this my final effort to provide example before I exit from partisan politics,

What is your vision for Nigeria?

I will like to see a prosperous, just state where there is opportunity for all. I believe that if opportunity is provided for all citizens no matter their state of birth, ethnic group or religion, Nigeria would prosper. The United States of America despite its pockets of discrimination is still one of those countries where you can come from anywhere and be somebody and that is the reason why it is prosperous. That is what Nigeria is not doing, Nigeria is a very unjust society and it is a victim of state capture. Nigeria has been a captured state for generations, which is unfortunate.