LAGOS, 25 September 2026
Nigerian political economist Professor Pat Utomi has restated his support for former Anambra State governor Peter Obi as a candidate for the presidency in 2027. He has also made clear that he would end that support if Mr Obi accepted a vice presidential ticket.
In a post on his X account on Friday, Professor Utomi said it was important to remind Nigerians of his position as the next election draws nearer.
“Peter Obi has my support for the presidency,” he wrote. “But my position is clear, I am not supporting the idea of Peter Obi becoming somebody else’s Vice President.”
He added: “The day Peter Obi accepts a Vice Presidential position, I will walk away from his corner. I have said this plainly, and I stand by it.”
Professor Utomi, a former presidential candidate and professor at Lagos Business School, said the issue was not about personalities. It was about the kind of leadership Nigeria needs and the direction the country should take.
He also argued that Nigeria should rethink the age of those seeking executive office. The presidency, he said, should not become a retirement home for politicians. He called for a serious national conversation on limiting presidential and gubernatorial candidates to people aged 70 or below.
“Nigeria needs leadership that is focused on the future, not simply another cycle of political succession,” he wrote. “These are principles I have stated publicly, and Nigerians should judge them for themselves.”
Mr Obi finished third in the 2023 presidential contest as the Labour Party candidate and later joined the African Democratic Congress. Talk of opposition alliances ahead of 2027 has repeatedly raised the question of whether he might run as a deputy rather than at the top of a ticket.
Professor Utomi has said before that he will back Mr Obi only for the presidency. Friday’s statement repeats that line and ties it to a wider argument about age, fitness for office and the future of Nigerian leadership.
By John James
