Nigeria Must Unite to Lead Africa’s Renaissance, Utomi Tells Politicians
• Says personal ambitions, political narcissism threaten Nigeria’s destiny and Africa’s future
•As Galadima blames Electoral Act for opposition primary crises, urges aggrieved aspirants to embrace reconciliation
•NDC inaugurates reconciliation panel as Cleopas declares 2027 mission ‘bigger than individual ambitions’
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Pat Utomi, on Thursday challenged Nigeria’s political class to abandon personal ambitions and partisan bitterness in favour of national unity, declaring that the country must reclaim its historic responsibility of leading Africa’s political and economic renaissance.
Utomi warned that Nigeria could not inspire confidence across Africa or attract the investments required for continental transformation if its political leaders remained consumed by personal rivalries and what he described as “political narcissism.”
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2007 general election spoke in Abuja shortly after the inauguration of the NDC National Reconciliation Committee.
The renowned political economist said the assignment before the committee extended far beyond resolving disputes arising from the party’s congresses, convention and primaries.
He insisted that it was fundamentally about building a political culture capable of rescuing Nigeria and repositioning Africa.
“I feel humbled and challenged by this assignment because I know that the future of our country rests on it in very many ways, more than we immediately imagine,” Utomi said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s political elite must begin to appreciate the enormous responsibility history had placed on the country as Africa’s most populous nation.
According to him, reconciliation among party members should not merely be viewed as an internal political exercise but as a necessary step towards creating the kind of stable leadership capable of driving economic development across the continent.
Utomi lamented that despite Africa’s abundant natural resources, youthful population and vast market opportunities, the continent continued to be perceived internationally as a region of instability and missed opportunities.
Recalling his recent interactions with global policymakers and investors in Geneva, he said many influential investors still doubted Africa’s investment readiness because of weak infrastructure and persistent political instability.
He said, “I recently reminded an international audience that 12 individuals in California control more capital than the entire African continent.
“One respected British investment banker argued that Africa lacks the infrastructure to absorb major investments.
“But rather than seeing that as a setback, we should see it as an opportunity. If that capital is invested in developing Africa’s infrastructure, this continent, with its vast natural resources and youthful population, will become the future of global economic growth,” he said.
Utomi disclosed that in collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and in his capacity as Chairman of the African Union Private Sector Pan-African Trade and Investment Committee, efforts were already underway to project what he described as “a new narrative for Africa.”
According to him, the global conversation about Africa often ignores the achievements of the continent’s entrepreneurs, innovators and young people who are quietly driving economic transformation.
He urged political leaders to create an environment that allows those talents to flourish rather than stifle them through endless political conflicts.
Invoking the African philosophy of Ubuntu—”I am because we are”—Utomi regretted that the communal values that once defined African societies had gradually been replaced by excessive individualism and selfish political competition.
He said, “We thrive only when the collective thrives. If we remember who we are as Africans, reconciliation becomes easy because these disagreements are small compared to the greater opportunities before us.
“Our politics should not be driven by ego. It should be driven by service, sacrifice and commitment to the common good.
“The future that awaits Nigeria and Africa is far greater than the offices we seek today,” he declared.
The former ADC presidential candidate also challenged the NDC to evolve into a genuinely youth-driven political movement capable of producing transformational leaders.
Noting that Nigeria’s median age is approximately 19.5 years, he said the country’s future depended largely on how effectively it invested in its young population.
He said, “There is nobody who entered this process that will not have a place in building a greater Nigeria.
“Some who did not secure nominations today may eventually become even greater champions in other capacities.
“We must not waste the energy, ideas and commitment of our young people because of temporary political disagreements,” he added.
Drawing lessons from the Asian “Flying Geese Phenomenon,” Utomi argued that when one nation succeeds in getting development right, neighbouring countries naturally benefit by following its example.
He expressed confidence that Nigeria could become Africa’s model for democratic governance and economic transformation if its leaders embraced unity over division.
Earlier, National Chairman of the NDC, Senator Cleopas Moses, inaugurated the reconciliation committee, describing its assignment as critical to preserving the party’s unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Cleopas acknowledged that the rapid expansion of the six-month-old party and the speed with which it conducted congresses, a national convention and nationwide primaries inevitably generated grievances among some aspirants.
He, however, insisted that no political ambition was greater than the collective objective of rescuing Nigeria.
He said, “Your assignment is not merely to settle disputes; it is to rebuild confidence.
“There is no way a political party can conduct candidate selection without some members becoming dissatisfied. But the greater objective before us is far bigger than the ambition of any individual,” he said.
He urged unsuccessful aspirants not to abandon the party, assuring them that they remained valuable stakeholders whose experience and contributions would be required during the campaigns.
According to him, only one candidate could emerge from any primary election, but victory in 2027 would require the commitment and sacrifices of every party member.
Cleopas called on state chairmen, zonal leaders and other stakeholders to cooperate fully with the reconciliation committee to ensure lasting peace across the party.
He also launched a blistering criticism of the current state of the nation, accusing the federal government of failing to guarantee security and improve citizens’ welfare.
He said, “Our people cannot go to farms because of insecurity. Parents send children to school only for criminals to abduct them. That is not the Nigeria we want.
“That is why the NDC exists—to rescue this country,” he stated.
He described the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as symbols of national hope, insisting that the party’s mission transcended personalities.
“We are not fighting for Peter Obi as an individual. We are fighting for Nigeria. This struggle is about giving Nigerians a country that works,” Cleopas declared.
He further urged party members to remain vigilant during future elections by actively protecting their votes while conducting themselves peacefully and lawfully.
Also speaking, Co-Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Buba Galadima, admitted that reconciling aggrieved aspirants would be challenging but attributed much of the post-primary tension to what he described as fundamental flaws in the current Electoral Act.
According to him, the legal framework governing party primaries places opposition parties under enormous pressure and often fuels avoidable disputes.
Drawing from his experience as former National Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Galadima recounted how disputes arising from the party’s 2011 Kano governorship primary culminated in prolonged litigation and a court judgment that left him personally liable for N150 million.
He narrated how court officials confiscated vehicles and household property before eventually moving to attach his residence after the CPC had merged into the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“That painful experience convinced me that there are serious shortcomings in the present Electoral Act as it relates to party primaries, especially for opposition parties,” he said.
Despite his reservations, Galadima appealed to aggrieved aspirants in the NDC to emulate the late Mallam Aminu Kano, who accepted electoral defeat in 1979 without undermining the democratic process.
He assured party members that the reconciliation committee would approach its assignment with fairness, patriotism and sincerity.
Galadima said, “We have little material reward to offer anyone. What we can offer is patriotism and the opportunity to rescue Nigeria.
“We shall persuade every aggrieved aspirant to look beyond personal ambition and embrace the larger national interest.
“Every aspirant remains an important stakeholder in this movement, and every one of them has a role to play in building the Nigeria we all desire,” Galadima said.
The National Reconciliation Committee is chaired by Utomi, with Galadima serving as Co-Chairman.
Other members include Barrister Mohammed Sani Takori as Vice Chairman, Comrade Babatunde Ali as Secretary, National Woman Leader Mrs. Dudu Manuga, Hon. Salvador Adegoke Moshood, the party’s FCT Chairman, Alhaji Aruna, and chairmen of the zonal reconciliation committees.
The committee is expected to engage aggrieved aspirants nationwide, review complaints arising from the party’s congresses and primaries.
It is also expected to recommend measures to strengthen internal cohesion, and submit its report to the National Working Committee before the commencement of full-scale campaigns for the 2027 general elections.
