Labour Party chieftain, Professor Pat Utomi, does not think the presidential ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is for the good of Nigeria, describing it as one that reeks of desperation and a danger to Nigeria’s democracy.
Utomi stated this on Monday during an appearance on a programme, Politics Today, on Channels Television.
The political economist asserted that Tinubu’s desperate ambition to become president is injurious to Nigeria’s democracy and must be resisted.
Utomi pointed out that the ‘emilokan’ slogan of the APC presidential candidate is dangerous and reeks of selfishness, saying that the 2023 presidency is about Nigerians and not an individual.
‘Emilokan’ is Yorùbá for ‘I am next.’
“I don’t think the ambition of Tinubu is for the good of Nigeria,” said Utomi. “If I was his age, I wouldn’t be seeking political office. Certain things are good for certain times. Why is it his turn? What about other people in Nigeria?
“If there is any ‘emilokan,’ that is wrong, it is the Emilokan of Emilokan because of Ko’kan (Not his turn).
“Our country has suffered so much from having ailing leaders and that was why the vice president stepped up because he thought there was a challenge to that principle and direction.”
Utomi had in recent times dared Tinubu to go for a medical check-up and make the results public. In his opinion, the former governor of Lagos State is unfit to be president.
While insisting that there are signs to show Tinubu is unfit for the post of president, Utomi said: “Physically, you can see he is ailing. Let’s not kid ourselves. Let’s be honest.”
Utomi refuted claims by the APC that Tinubu is fit, stating that “American presidents go through medicals. Let him go through medicals with Nigerian doctors and make it (result) public.”
On why he wants the former Lagos State governor to go for a medical test, the Labour Party chieftain said the 2023 election and who leads the country is about “the lives of millions of people”.
Source: The Guardian
