Utomi also said Nigerian youths are tired of bad governance and are determined to change the narrative in 2023
By Kehinde Okeowo
Labour Party chieftain and foremost economist, Professor Pat Utomi has said his party’s candidate, Peter Obi will surprise a lot of naysayers by winning the 2023 presidential election.
Utomi expressed the optimism while speaking on Channels Television’s program, Politics Today on Tuesday.
According to the University don, the belief that the Labour Party presidential candidate is only popular on social media and cannot win an election in a proper election setting is not correct.
The former presidential candidate went on to say contrary to such assumptions, Obi can claim victory in the election, citing how presidential candidates in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Botswana who were labelled ‘internet champions’ eventually won the elections.
ALSO READ: BREAKING: Ogun PDP expels Ladi Adebutu
He said, “Look at what is happening in Africa in the recent elections — Malawi, Zambia, Kenya and Botswana – all of the people that were ridiculed as internet champions won.
“Africans are fed up with the government that does not work. Politicians display this obsessive self-love and they do trade-off in transactions for their self-interest, forgetting the people. This is what has kept Nigeria below par.
“The youths of Africa are saying this cannot continue. They proved it in Kenya, Malawi and they are going to prove it in Nigeria.”
Utomi went on to say Nigerian youths, who constitute the latest population in the country are tired of bad governance and are determined to change the narrative next year.
He also said their enthusiasm is propelled by their desire to rescue their country now that the new electoral law has made it difficult for politicians to rig elections by manipulating figures.
He stated, “We have a strategy that is so clear. You know, elections in Nigeria have been producing low turnouts yearly even though the population is growing. Why is that?
“Traditionally, most of those votes (referring to previous elections) came from rigging. Electoral law has made it more difficult to do those things.
“Young people, who typically say, ‘let them do what they want to do, have said enough is enough, we cannot japa, we have to stay here and save our country.’
“And these young people constitute a huge part of the population. The strategy is to make those young people not just voters but protectors of the votes.”
