The battle for the 2027 presidential election is on, as the opposition seeks to gather momentum against the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
BY AYORINDE OLUOKUN/ABUJA
Akin to Emi lo kan (“it’s my turn”), a very popular and prophetic speech in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not hold back when he addressed the issue of mounting opposition against his re-election in the 2027 polls on Thursday, 16 April, 2026. Tinubu, who was addressing coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors from the 36 states of the federation at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, affirmed his determination to stay the course on the economic and social transformation agenda he has embarked on as president over the past three years.
But he was emphatic that the growing opposition cannot scare or intimidate him out of the contest for the 2027 election, as he recalled that he was confronted with similar opposition gang-ups during the primaries and general election that brought him to office, yet he prevailed at the end of the day. “During the primary that brought me here, it was tough. During the general election that brought me here, it was tough,” he said. “One thing that you need from me is a promise: I won’t run away from the affairs of the nation. With you, the deal is done,” he added. “They want to scare me off? It is a lie. I have been through this path before.”
Tinubu urged members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to remain united against those he said do not want national transformation, while leaving no one in doubt that his verbal salvos were directed at the opposition All Democratic Congress (ADC) and its leaders, who had, some days earlier, held their national conference against the advice of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a court order.
Hence, the President described the opposition as “noise-makers” who do not respect the rule of law, while questioning their record of public service. The President specifically referenced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who had, in an interview days earlier, presented himself as the viable ADC candidate in the 2027 battle against the ruling party. As a former Vice President, Atiku was also Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation.
But the President said most of the assets privatised by Atiku were no longer working. “If you look at one of them… no one without history among this calabash (coalition). The head was the Chairman of the Privatisation Council of Nigeria at one time. He privatised the steel industry in Delta—is it working today? No. They privatised Ajaokuta. Is it working today? Go on the list. They privatised another man’s political party. That one said no,” he said, drawing huge laughter from the coordinators of Renewed Hope Ambassadors led by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma.
Contentious Convention
Less than 72 hours before the President’s meeting with the Renewed Hope chieftains in Aso Rock, the ADC had also defied legal battles that many feared might jeopardise the party’s chances of appearing on the ballot in the 2027 general election by holding its national convention. For about 1,500 delegates who were cramped into the barely conducive Crown Event Centre in the Garki area of Nigeria’s capital, the convention was an opportunity to dance, mingle with past Nigerian leaders they had only seen on television, and listen to fiery speeches.
The convention was held against the background of the derecognition of the David Mark-led leadership by INEC about a week before the event. Professor Joash Amupitan, the INEC chairman, based the derecognition on a court order resulting from a suit filed by Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman of the party, against the David Mark-led leadership.
As such, Amupitan had said INEC would not monitor the convention when the leadership insisted on going ahead with the event—a critical milestone for participation in the 2027 election. INEC officials were not present, thus putting the legality of the convention in question. The party had also struggled to secure a convenient venue for the event.
Punches for Tinubu, APC, INEC
Speaking at the convention, leaders of the ADC took turns to lampoon Amupitan, INEC, the ruling APC, and President Tinubu, whom they accused of being in alliance to ensure the party would not be on the 2027 ballot. They framed their struggle as a “battle for the survival of democracy,” which they vowed not to abandon.
“Forces that feared what a united ADC represents came for us through the courts, through institutions, through bureaucratic obstructions. What is at stake is not just about the ADC or the opposition. It is the very survival of democracy,” Mark said.
Speaking in the same vein, the factional national secretary of the ADC, Rauf Aregbesola, declared INEC “a criminal and illegal organisation” for refusing to recognise the convention and leadership. He insisted that the party complied with all statutory requirements under the Electoral Act, including notifying INEC within the mandatory timeframe.
“They have removed the names of our officers and are treating the ADC as if it has been proscribed. It is false. It is wrong. Despite all desperate attempts to emasculate our party, just as no power can stop the sun from rising, so the ADC cannot be stopped,” Aregbesola said, while criticising the policies and programmes of the Federal Government.
He called on Tinubu to resign, citing deteriorating insecurity and economic hardship in Nigeria. He expressed concern that transportation costs have risen so sharply that it is now impractical for some workers to commute to work.
“Ordinarily, having made such a promise and fared woefully, an honest president should simply step down and not seek re-election. Rather, what we are witnessing is the most desperate attempt by a candidate in Nigerian electoral history to retain power at all costs, even if it means bringing down the entire democratic system. We have the duty to stop scammers from retaining power,” the former Osun State governor said.
While describing the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Aregbesola vowed that there would be no automatic or ceremonial ascension to power in the Presidential Villa in 2027.
Likewise, leaders of the party eyeing the opportunity of going head-to-head with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the 2027 presidential election ballot did not disappoint the teeming party members as they took to the podium. As the star attractions at the convention, the presidential aspirants—Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Musa Kwankwaso—took turns to lampoon the APC, even as they boasted of the capability of their party to take over the Aso Rock Presidential Villa from Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The National Convention, they said, was just a prelude to ADC’s displacement of the APC as Nigeria’s ruling party in the series of elections that will begin in January 2027, according to the timetable of INEC.
Professor Pat Utomi was not left out in firing bullets at the APC government. He criticized Tinubu’s economic reforms, describing them as “ridiculous,” “poorly structured,” and akin to a “Ponzi scheme” that has worsened poverty and widened inequality. He argued that the reforms are, as he put it, “dragging Nigerians from hell to purgatory” rather than offering true salvation.
Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, fired back: “At this point, the issue is no longer what Utomi is saying. The issue is why his interventions consistently collapse under the weight of their own exaggeration, under the slightest scrutiny or interrogation.
Any reflective—indeed, discerning—mind would note that, after all these long years of sophistry and vacuous pontifications, all Utomi can possibly point to as his bona fides or bragging rights in the civic space today are the ruins of Volkswagen Automobile Ltd and BankPHB, where his much-touted ‘academic wizardry’ was exposed as a ‘Ponzi scheme.’
Utomi’s public persona has long rested on the alarmist aura of a ‘political economist.’ But strip away the titles, the panels, and the endless commentary, and a more uncomfortable question emerges: where is the evidence of all his posturings in the public space?”
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity, also responded: “For decades, as a public intellectual/commentator on national affairs and economic matters, Utomi has consistently shared his views on the world and on how Nigeria’s political economy should be constructed. Like Peter Obi, his newfound comrade-in-arms, Utomi copiously cites examples from South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Chile, among others. While there is no doubt about the quantum of economic theories Utomi has memorised, there is always a limit to book knowledge when the realities of the real world show up.
In the furnace of the real world, Utomi has been tried, tested, and allowed to demonstrate the applicability and practicality of his ideas. While he has had the opportunity at many fora to defend his own record, the verdict remains that he did not cover himself in glory as Managing Director/Chief Executive of the defunct Volkswagen of Nigeria and as the Vice Chairman of BankPHB of equally blessed memory.”
Of course, the big elephant in the room for the ADC—especially since the party gained national prominence with the defection of ‘heavyweight politicians’ with eyes on Aso Rock Presidential Villa into its ranks—was the question of its 2027 presidential ticket.
In their speeches at the National Convention, the presidential aspirants had literally walked on eggshells, refusing to speak on the issue beyond admonitions for party members to be united and ensure the emergence of a candidate with enough acceptability to win the presidential election.
The National Convention concluded with the main decisions being the ratification of the David Mark-led NWC and the expulsion of members who are challenging the leadership in court, especially Nafiu Gombe and a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide.
Atiku Opens Battle for ADC Presidential Ticket
Less than 48 hours after the convention, Atiku blew the lid off one of the issues analysts have said may deflate the gathering momentum of the opposition against the APC with his gung-ho, no-holds-barred interview, in which he positioned himself as the most qualified for the presidential ticket of the ADC.
Speaking during a television interview, the former Vice President declared that contesting the 2027 presidential election would be his final attempt to attain Nigeria’s highest office, and as such, the stakes were higher for him.
The Adamawa-born politician, who served as Vice President under former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, asserted that he commanded a bigger following than his rivals, especially in Northern Nigeria, where many analysts have argued that the 2027 presidential election will be won and lost.
He pointedly said he commanded greater support in the North than Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who are also being touted as possible parts of the 2027 presidential ticket of the ADC, whether as the main contender or in the vice-presidential role.
“Tell me which candidate in the North has more political base than I have? You are talking of Tambuwal and Kwankwaso, and also the emerging political figures. None of them has gotten that political bloc vote as much as I have,” he said.
Backing up his claim with facts, Atiku noted that he won more northern states in the 2023 presidential election: “The North appears to be more politically united now than ever. The majority of the North will always come together, and I am determined to bring them together because that is my political base.”
He dismissed claims that former governor Kwankwaso is a possible rival to him in the battle for the Northern vote. “Kwankwaso is strong in Kano; that is why he is considered a leader in the coalition. The absence of votes from Kano might affect me, but in his own case, you can see how Kano is split between himself and the former governor.”
Atiku also noted that the reach and popularity of the other leading contenders for the APC governorship ticket are limited to their geographical zones of origin: “Just as the South-East is the political base of Peter Obi and the South-South is the political base of Rotimi Amaechi.”
To prove that he is the most experienced politician around, Atiku, during an interview with Arise News, took a swipe at former President Goodluck Jonathan as a decent but inexperienced man.
In Atiku’s words, “I know Goodluck Jonathan very well, he is a decent young man but also inexperienced, which contributed to his failure to manage the affairs of the country.”
Desperation, Fears of Atiku
However, the presidency wasted no time in dismissing Atiku’s fresh attempt. “In 2023, as a member of the PDP—a party that, like others, practices zoning—Atiku disregarded the established formula and sought to succeed a fellow northerner who had spent eight years in office. His ambition fractured the PDP, leading to his resounding defeat at the polls,” Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said on Thursday while criticizing Atiku’s bid to run again in the 2027 election.
Yet, as gathered, the interview is one of the steps being taken by Atiku to position himself as the foremost among the aspirants for the ADC presidential ticket ahead of the primaries. The former Vice President has also recently hired a lobbyist in the United States to polish his image and position him as a desirable leader of Nigeria ahead of the 2027 election.
This magazine also gathered that Atiku may have become jittery over ongoing permutations in the ADC, especially by leaders of the party who believe that the presidency should remain in the South for four more years from 2027.
Thus, Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State who contested the presidency and got over six million votes like Atiku in the 2023 election, has been gathering support from such chieftains and members of the party.
The permutations include pairing Obi with either Kwankwaso or Tambuwal for a one-term tenure in the 2027 election. Obi has also agreed that he would serve only one term to allow the return of the presidency to the Northern part of the country if he emerges as the ADC candidate and wins the 2027 election.
However, the former Vice President dismissed the argument of zoning during his television interview, arguing that it is not in the constitution of the party. “No, I think this is an error and a mistake to say that there is an agreement on the issue of zoning in Nigeria. Let me tell you, the only political party that has a zoning provision in its constitution is the PDP. All the rest don’t have it.”
In line with this assertion, Atiku supporters in the ADC have argued that he should run in the 2027 election alongside Obi as his Vice President. The former Vice President and the ex-governor also ran on a joint ticket in the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but they lost to the then APC presidential candidate, late President Muhammadu Buhari.
No To Atiku/Obi Combination
Publisher of Ovation magazine, who has been making media rounds promoting the candidacy of Atiku, said the pairing of the former Vice President with Obi would send the ruling party out of Aso Rock in 2027. Momodu said a potential Atiku-Obi combination would give the opposition its strongest chance at the polls, as it would attract the huge support base of the former Labour Party presidential candidate, as coalesced in the Obidient Movement.
However, the Coordinator of the Obedient Movement, Tanko Yunusa, dismissed the claim. Instead, he argued that the ADC should zone its presidential ticket to the South, with Obi as the party’s candidate. He added that Obi should be paired with Kwankwaso.
Yunusa further argued that, contrary to the claims of Atiku and his supporters, Obi has been building alliances with politicians in the Northern part of the country. He insisted that the ADC should respect the principle of zoning if it wants to emerge victorious in the 2027 presidential election.
Obi/Kwankwaso Can’t Deliver
Atiku had, in his television interview, promised to support any candidate that emerges as the ADC presidential candidate. Yet, the assertions by Yunusa also reflect the unspoken fear within the Obi camp if the contest is left open. The concern is that the 79-year-old Atiku may use his experience as a serial contender and his financial war chest to edge Obi out.
Contrary to Yunusa’s claims, Atiku’s cheerleaders like Momodu have argued that an Obi/Kwankwaso ticket cannot deliver victory for the ADC in 2027. They argue that the majority of votes in the North-West and North-East are likely to go to the ruling APC if Atiku is not on the ballot.
They also contend that the ADC currently has more members in the North than in the South, a feat they attribute to Atiku’s mobilisation efforts. They further note that Tinubu is enjoying wide support from stakeholders in the South-South, South-West, and North-Central, leaving the South-East as the only region where Obi may dominate.
As such, they opine that the former Labour Party presidential candidate should accept the role of running mate to Atiku in the presidential election.
Obi Or Nothing
But Obi had, in a television interview, indicated that he may dump the ADC if the “process is compromised,” as he has done at other times in the past. He recalled that he abandoned the PDP for the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 election because the process of the primary was compromised.
“I am now in the ADC with some of the same people I left in the PDP and other parties. But if the same process is compromised again, I will speak out. I have never been involved in any form of election rigging – at the primary level, during the election, or afterwards,” he said in a recent interview.
Obi had also repeatedly assured his supporters that he would be on the ballot for the 2027 election, not as a running mate to anybody, but as the main candidate. With Atiku’s strong determination and push for his last presidential bid on the platform of the ADC, many analysts said the road for Obi on the platform of the party may have been closed. Hence, the supporters of the former Anambra governor—the “Peter Obi or Nothing” crowd—are already calling on him to seek an alternative ahead of the commencement of the primaries. This is more so since the Electoral Act has barred aspirants from participating in multiple primaries in the same election cycle.
“For me, it is better that Peter Obi runs for the 2027 presidency in ADC or anywhere else and let Nigerians be the judge. We must, however, respect the South’s zoning rights,” Oseloka Obaze, a member of APC and strong supporter of the former Labour Party presidential candidate, said. However, Obi’s exit may further dampen the much-vaunted strong push of the opposition to take over power from the APC in 2027.
‘Only Northerners Will Vote for Atiku’
However, Obi and his supporters are not the only ones who are seeing danger ahead with Atiku’s strong push to take the ADC presidential ticket. Amaechi, a Christian and former governor of Rivers State, who has been going around with a turban on his head to appease voters in the northern part of the country, also expressed concern that the former Vice President is positioning himself as a regional candidate.
Speaking in a television interview, the former governor, who is also a former minister, described himself as the best candidate for the ADC to put forward to confront Tinubu in the 2027 election. He described others aspiring for the ADC presidential ticket as regional candidates.
“If Atiku Abubakar is saying that the only qualification he has is because he is from the North, then it means that on election day, the North will vote for him and the South will not vote for him—that is what it means,” he said.
Amaechi added that factors like previous performance should guide the decision of the party’s choice of presidential candidate.
“It is within the right of the former vice president to say that he wants to run; nobody is stopping him. But he also has to understand that there are other factors beyond where he comes from. They are all regional candidates, but I am not a regional candidate. I’m not running because I’m Igbo, even though I’m partially one,” the former governor said.
Unending Conflicts
Beyond the struggle for the presidential ticket and its legal troubles, the ADC has also been afflicted with conflicts across its state chapters, as members seek to give themselves a vantage position in the party ahead of the primaries.
Nafiu Bala, Abejide Challenge. David Mark Group
Most significantly, a faction of the party in Adamawa has expelled Atiku and some of his supporters from the party. Worsening the situation for the party was Nafiu Bala, the factional chairman, who had indicated that he was not ready to give up his battle against the David Mark-led group, in spite of his expulsion at the April 14 factional convention.
Bala has the support of Abejide, who was expelled with him at the convention. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, April 17, Bala described the national convention organized by the David Mark-led faction of ADC as not only a nullity but an affront to the court. He noted that the convention was held in flagrant disregard of the Court of Appeal judgment.
“Any action taken in flagrant disregard of the Court of Appeal judgment delivered on March 12, 2026, is not only of questionable legality but is liable to be declared null and void,” he said, while noting that the absence of INEC from the convention indicated that it lacked official recognition and cannot stand judicial scrutiny as to its legitimacy.
He also said his expulsion during the convention was null and void.
“As far as the duly constituted and legitimate leadership of the party is concerned, the coalition groups are not members of ADC. Consequently, they lack the requisite locus standi to convene or conduct any congress or convention, and any resolution or decision emanating from such gatherings is devoid of legal effect,” he said.
In the same vein, Abejide, who was at one time the only elected member of ADC in the House of Representatives, described the convention as illegal and unconstitutional.
“We want to let the public know that the suya convention that ADC coalition held on April 14, 2026, at an event centre in Abuja is null and void,” Abejide said, while lampooning the Mark-led faction of the party, noting that the same group was responsible for the fall of PDP.
“I nurtured ADC into recognition, having two House of Representatives members in the 2023 general elections,” he added.
All eyes will be on the courts to see how the Mark-led group will navigate its way out of the many suits filed against its takeover of the ADC in the days ahead.
PDP Bogged Down by Crisis Too
Things are also not looking good for the other main opposition party, the PDP. The Supreme Court had indicated that it will accelerate the hearing of the suit on the leadership tussle between a group led by Tanimu Turaki, with the support of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for control of the party.
But analysts say that no matter where the pendulum swings in court, it will be difficult for the party to put up a strong challenge against President Tinubu in the 2027 election because of the protracted crisis that has led to defections of its governors and other members, mostly to the ruling APC. What’s more, the Wike faction of the party, which is now recognised by INEC, has declared that it will support President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
During a recent inspection of projects in the FCT, Wike affirmed his support for Tinubu while urging Atiku to drop any ambition of contesting the 2027 presidential election.
“There is no space for him in 2027. He can wait till 2031. Even though he has said this is his last time, we will encourage him to run then,” he said.
Defending Tinubu’s Stewardship
With the mounting challenges against their ambitions, it is expected that the opposition may ratchet up its campaign against the Tinubu administration in the coming weeks, just as Aregbesola did at the ADC National Convention.
However, the administration has also been defending its record while enumerating its achievements. For one, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had, in response to the claims of the factional ADC National Secretary, asserted that the government had been transparent about the impact of its reforms while also implementing measures to cushion the effects.
“The Tinubu administration has never shied away from acknowledging that policy reforms have brought unintended consequences, but we have introduced numerous relief measures, including cash transfers and support for small businesses,” he said.
Onanuga also asserted that the reforms of the administration are already yielding results, according to economic indicators.
“We have seen increased GDP, stronger foreign reserves, and a bullish stock market reflecting growing investor confidence,” Onanuga said, while rejecting claims by Aregbesola that the Renewed Hope Agenda is a scam.
Also, Renewed Hope Ambassadors, at a meeting of their coordinators with President Tinubu, hailed the President’s reforms, noting that the impacts are already being felt across the country. They vowed to take the campaign of the administration’s achievements to the nooks and crannies of the country to douse the voice of the opposition. They especially noted that the reforms have resulted in the ability of subnational governments to meet their obligations, unlike in the past.
“No President in the history of Nigeria has supported the sub-nationals like President Tinubu. The opposition is not out to contest the election; their agenda is anarchy. And that is the reason governors, ministers, and LG chairmen must take the message of renewed hope to the grassroots. We in the North are the major beneficiaries. And the ministers, heads of agencies, must speak out,” Deputy Director-General of RHA and Kaduna Governor, Uba Sanni, said.
“I was governor before 2023, and I’m governor now, doing my second term. I know the difference better because I have experienced the two periods,” RHA Secretary and Gombe Governor, Yahaya Inuwa, said while speaking in the same vein.
RHA North-West Zonal Coordinator and former Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, noted that reformers always find it extremely difficult at the beginning. But he commended President Tinubu for embarking on hard but necessary reforms that leaders before him had avoided:
“Nigeria has become better for it. You have done so much, Mr President, but don’t allow noisemakers to distract you. Your bashings are not for you alone. Even your detractors know that you have done well. Will anyone come tomorrow and say he will reverse the removal of fuel subsidy or return the nation to multiple foreign exchange rates?”
On his part, former Delta Governor Emmanuel Okowa hailed the President’s re-engineering of the economy, which, he noted, had positively impacted subnational governments. He also commended the President’s intervention in the education sector:
“The best way to educate our children is to give them education—sound education,” he said, while noting that the administration’s student loan scheme, NELFUND, has benefited over a million students as of March 2026.
No doubt, the next few weeks will be interesting and revealing as Nigeria heads towards the 2027 presidential election.
No, Rauf. The Real Scammers Are The Politicians Inside The SPV Called ADC
BY BAYO ONANUGA
My attention has been drawn to Rauf Aregbesola’s attack on the Tinubu administration at the 14 April’s illegal elective convention of the ADC—a party of desperados and power mongers who, to date, have not articulated any credible plan for Nigeria. At the event, Aregbesola reportedly called on his former boss, mentor, and benefactor to resign, parroting the opposition’s warped narratives about the economy and orchestrated reports of terrorist attacks in some parts of the country.
Unfortunately, Aregbesola did not undertake any honest self-reflection on his own record in public office—as governor or as Minister of Interior. His eight years as governor of Osun State were characterised by unmitigated hardship for the people. Under his half-baked socialist policies, civil servants went unpaid for months, and those who were paid received only a fraction of their salaries. It is to Aregbesola’s infamy that Osun became known as a state receiving negative federal allocation and paying just 20 to 30 per cent of normal salaries. It was worse for pensioners in Aregbesola’s Osun State. Many pensioners who relied on their meagre monthly payments died because they were not paid at all.
This is the same man who now has the effrontery to attack the Tinubu administration, despite his tenure in Osun leaving a legacy of unpaid salaries, financial recklessness, abandoned projects, and misguided policies that brought the state to ruin. His immediate successor, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, worked hard to clean up much of the mess left behind, and Governor Adeleke is still dealing with the consequences.
Aregbesola’s second line of attack against President Tinubu is equally hypocritical. As Minister of Interior under President Muhammadu Buhari, his tenure witnessed the highest number of jailbreaks in Nigeria’s history—including the infamous Kuje Prison escape in Abuja. During his four years, obtaining a Nigerian passport became a nightmarish process, and there were 15 major attacks on correctional facilities in Jos, Abolongo, Imo, Kabba, and Okitipupa, resulting in over 4,000 inmates escaping to join criminal elements.
For someone who failed so woefully to secure our correctional centres and uphold his duties between 2019 and 2023, it is ironic that Aregbesola now seeks to lecture others on insecurity. Maybe he thinks the entire Nigerian population suffers from amnesia.
Politicians may indulge in cheap talk and easy criticism, but Nigerians must never forget the abysmal records of Rauf and his fellow desperados. Nigerians must remain vigilant, lest power-hungry individuals with no programme attempt to hoodwink them. Because they have no credible programme, they are weaponising the isolated terrorist attacks, as if the problem started from this administration.
The Tinubu administration has never shied away from acknowledging that policy reforms have brought unintended consequences, impacting the most vulnerable. However, over the last three years, the government has introduced numerous relief measures to mitigate these effects—including increasing the minimum wage by over 100 per cent, making cash transfers to the vulnerable, assisting small-scale enterprises, and reducing inflation to less than 15 per cent from over 25 per cent at the start of the reforms, with food prices crashing. The government will continue to implement policies to alleviate hardship and support the most vulnerable in our society.
On security, the Tinubu administration has been supporting the military, the DSS and the intelligence agencies. The government has been investing in more and more equipment for the military and has sought assistance from foreign governments to battle the inherited scourge of terrorism and banditry.
The administration’s Renewed Hope Programme is on track and has received global praise. We have seen the effects of how it has increased GDP and our foreign reserves, made our country the toast of investors, and made our stock market bullish and prosperous.
No, Rauf, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam. The real scammers are the politicians gathered inside the SPV called ADC.
- Bayo Onanuga is the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the President.
Pat Utomi: Time To Take A Back Seat
BY TEMITOPE AJAYI
Since bursting into national consciousness, Professor Patrick Utomi has convinced himself that he is the Nigerian equivalent of Albert Einstein, Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes rolled into one.
For decades, as a public intellectual/commentator on national affairs and economic matters, Utomi has consistently shared his views on the world and on how Nigeria’s political economy should be constructed. Like Peter Obi, his newfound comrade-in-arms, Utomi copiously cites examples from South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Chile, among others. While there is no doubt about the quantum of economic theories Utomi has memorised, there is always a limit to book knowledge when the realities of the real world show up.
In the furnace of the real world, Utomi has been tried, tested and allowed to demonstrate the applicability and practicality of his ideas. While he has had the opportunity at many fora to defend his own record, the verdict remains that he did not cover himself in glory as Managing Director/Chief Executive of the defunct Volkswagen of Nigeria and as the Vice Chairman of BankPHB of equally blessed memory.
From the sordid details revealed in court after forensic investigators visited, Utomi essentially presided over a bank where depositors’ funds were converted into private pockets in the most primitive way. Alas, the enterprises that would have been a showpiece or foretaste of what Utomi is capable of doing at a higher level of public leadership went down under his “brilliant” watch.
At BankPHB, there was also a massive shareholder value erosion and insider abuse. Francis Atuche, the bank’s Chief Executive, is serving a jail term for the mismanagement of a bank in which Utomi served on its Board of Directors. Were Utomi really capable of any sense of propriety, he ought to be in self-seclusion over the unravelling of BankPHB and not continue his often annoying career of sophistry and peddling of untested economic doctrines.
The other side of Utomi was also exposed when Senator Ibikunle Amosun claimed an NGO controlled by the self-styled political economist had offered him an unsolicited award, ostensibly to influence him to approve an unfair consideration in a disputed property case before him while he was Ogun State Governor. So much for a moral crusader!
Overall, there is a pattern to Utomi’s intellectual arrogance. Every four years, he comes out to mount a moral high horse on who should lead Nigeria. He touts himself as a political strategist with an uncanny ability to cobble victory at the polls for whoever he backs. Yet, time and again, he has failed. But rather than accept loss with humility and introspect as an intellectual should do, he will rather raise a storm. That was what he did in 2023, using his social media platform to mislead the gullible at a critical time, proclaiming his candidate’s victory before the election results were announced.
As another election season is upon us, Utomi has again taken to shooting from the hip, even when facts and logic are not on his side, attempting to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s leadership of Nigeria and to describe his reform agenda in unflattering terms.
Feeling over the moon immediately after the convention of his own faction of ADC in Abuja, Utomi was on television, pouring invectives on President Tinubu and the governing APC. He also took out a ThisDay newspaper back page where he labelled the ongoing economic reform programme as “ridiculous”, dismissing it as a “Ponzi scheme.” Here is a man who, out of political convenience, is attacking the same free-market economic offerings and prescriptions he built his public acclaim on.
For far too long, Utomi and those of his ilk have held themselves up as the moral arc of society and their economic prescriptions as canon.
Once any administration refuses to lean on them and their personal economic and political interests do not find immediate accommodation, personal frustration is then packaged and presented as national outrage. Yet, when he was finding favour in Asiwaju’s eyes, Utomi used to frequent his Bourdillon home, extolling his generous host to the high heavens as “visionary”. In fact, a viral video shows Utomi dancing ecstatically to “Sakara” music in a casual shirt and trousers behind Asiwaju Tinubu at his Bourdillon residence, moments after the APC was declared the winner of the 2015 polls.
He was among those who courted Tinubu to advance their own political ascendancy. If Tinubu had supported and funded his ambition to be Delta State governor in 2019, as he wanted, Utomi would be dancing to a different drumbeat today. While for decades, Utomi has told us many things that are wrong with Nigeria, even if he has failed at the micro level to demonstrate how to put things right, it is now time for him to take a back seat from his selective outrage.
-Ajayi is Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity
*The above stories were first published in TheNEWS hard copy, May 2026
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