The National Leader of Labour Party (LP), Prof. Pat Utomi, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), with structural deficiency by reason of their transactional politics, cannot produce good leaders.
Besides, he said his 2012 Leadership Newspaper Annual Lecture gave birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that people who hijacked power then never wanted people like him to come closer.
Utomi, a Professor of Political Economics and Management, made this known while speaking at a one day sensitization programme orgnized by “Nigeria Can’t Continue Like This” (NCC-LIT), with the theme; “Supporters of good governance’ in Benin City at the weekend.
“APC started from a lecture that I gave at the Leadership Newspaper Annual Lecture, 2012 with the title, “Political Parties: Will Opposition Save Nigeria?” at the Sheraton Hotels.
“When I finished the lecture, Chief Paul Unongo accosted me and said can I just close this gate so that about one thousand persons at the lecture will not go until we know how opposition political parties should be created. On the high table were Muhammudu Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande and others.
“In that meeting, I was mandated to go and write APC manifesto with the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. But from the day one it seems that people that captured power do not want people like us around, and I just decided to stay on my own. What attracted some persons like us was the anti-corruption thing because he said that when elected, he will kill corruption, so that Nigeria can make progress, but because of this transactional thing, we can see what has become of the government and in my opinion, this government is the most corrupt Nigeria has ever had. ASUU has been on strike forever, and look at what they are just asking for and it is for the sake of our children and this is what one man called Accountant General can just take from our treasury. You can see that their conscience don’t worry them again, because of the structure”, Prof. Utomi said.
He explained that the desire to change Nigeria made him to start working with some persons on the need for a third force and some groups including the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Labour Commission from the 36 states of the country, adding that that was how the Labour Party was allied to the Labour Congress.
“So, when some persons begin to project me for the presidency, and Peter Obi said the PDP thing will not work for him and came to the LP, I said okay, I will steep down for him, because I am for anything that will make Nigeria work”, Prof. Utomi further stated.
He outlined how to build a better structure to include the Labour Movement, political groups with good objectives, and collaboration with civil society groups, saying “our challenge is only of Vigilance”.
He assured that Nigeria will rise again, despite its economic challenges, Kidnappings and killings as a result of insurgency.
Earlier, a chieftain of the Labour Party, Comrade Tony Akeni, said they were pleased with the partnership and status of Peter Obi, the Presidential Standard-bearer of the party and commended the contributions of Prof. Pat Utomi.
SUN NEWS
