Professor Pat Utomi has urged opposition presidential candidates to cooperate ahead of the 2027 general election without abandoning their individual ambitions, arguing that joint action on vote protection and election monitoring could be more practical than forcing all aspirants to back one candidate.

Utomi, a scholar, activist and former presidential candidate, spoke during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, against the backdrop of ongoing consultations by the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) on opposition cooperation.

“I think, in many ways, the fact that everybody must rally around one person for things to go forward is a false narrative. It tries to create the impression that unless that happens, the opposition cannot win. That is not correct,” he said.

Utomi proposed that the candidates remain competitors while pooling resources for election monitoring and vote protection.

“It’s more realistic for all presidential aspirants to agree to pool their resources, coordinate their election monitoring efforts and build a stronger structure for protecting the vote while still competing against each other,” he said.

He described the approach as “co-opetition”, where political actors compete while cooperating in areas of common interest.

“In enterprise, business management, we have a phenomenon that we call ‘co-opetition’ competing and cooperating at the same time. You can have co-opetition in politics,” Utomi said.

He said the opposition could also share technology and resources, including body cameras and live-streaming systems, to strengthen election monitoring.

“There’s a way that opposition can, will, and is currently collaborating that will ensure that people are made aware that their votes can count,” he said.

Utomi said cooperation should also extend beyond elections to developing a common policy framework, while criticising what he described as an excessive focus on political power.

“Government of national unity does not mean that you advertise yourself as coming from a political party other than the one that, quote-unquote, ‘is supposed to be in power,’” he said.

On Nigeria’s future, Utomi said his generation had failed in its responsibility to the country.

“Our generation has betrayed its mission to the Nigerian people, and the generation after us should kick us out!” he said.

He said his overriding concern remained Nigeria’s progress, regardless of his political associations.

“I want to say that foremost in my consideration, as the consideration of most true patriots, is Nigeria being able to move forward. Nigeria has been stuck in the mud for too long,” Utomi said.

He also challenged the governing All Progressives Congress, saying he was prepared to defend his position publicly.

“I can stand any of them on any podium anywhere in the world and tell them that they are not. Don’t forget that I was one of those who built the so-called ruling parties,” he said. (The Sun)