Political economy professor Pat Utomi has called on President Bola Tinubu to take part in live debates with his main opponents before Nigeria’s 2027 general election, arguing that direct policy exchanges are essential to a functioning democracy.
Utomi made the demand on Thursday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he answered questions about the country’s political outlook.
He said a president who was unwilling to appear alongside other leading candidates and defend policies in an open debate would not be acting honestly toward voters.
“If you cannot stand side by side with somebody contesting for the same position and engage in policy discussions, then you are being totally dishonest to the people you are offering to serve,” Utomi said.
He added that, if Tinubu genuinely cared about Nigerians, he should travel to every state capital as well as selected rural communities to meet citizens directly and shake their hands.
Utomi said the President should share a platform with the major candidates for public debates, describing that process as central to democratic practice.
He pointed to South Korea, whose democratic development has frequently been cited as an example, and said its political system had been strengthened through a broad culture of public debate.
“The electoral commission of South Korea advised its Nigerian counterparts when Professor Attahiru Jega led them on a visit years ago that they rescued South Korea by ensuring that debates took place on the streets, in school halls, on television and everywhere,” he said.
Utomi said he was personally distressed by what he viewed as Nigeria’s democratic decline, particularly after his own long involvement in efforts to build the country. He said too much public attention was now devoted to caring for political leaders, while those leaders offered repeated explanations instead of acknowledging when they were unwell.
