TheCable

Pat Utomi, a professor of political economy, says “people in power” ordered a coup against Nigerians “by giving us a government we are not sure exists”.

The professor spoke in the wake of claims by the presidency that “disgruntled religious and past political leaders” are working with “external forces” to overthrow the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, had said the presidency has “unimpeachable evidence” of a plan to recruit leaders of some ethnic groups and politicians to pass a vote of no confidence in Buhari and “throw the land into further turmoil”.

Reacting in an interview with PUNCH on Sunday, Utomi described the remark as “silly”.

“I have followed the funny exchanges between those who say that some people are planning a coup by having a conference; it is silly in the extreme, because people who are in power are the ones who have ordered a coup against the Nigerian people by giving us a government we are not sure exists. They are then accusing citizens, who want to get together,” he said.

The professor, who doubles as founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership, said Buhari’s administration is insensitive to the demands of its citizens.

Commenting on the call for the resignation of Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, over pro-Al-Qaeda views, Utomi said the federal government is “almost offensively intolerant” to what Nigerians think.

Although Utomi said he has no personal judgment on the issue, he noted that the Buhari’s administration has lost legitimacy and that the democratic order has failed.

He added that Nigeria needs a government of national unity to restore confidence of the people.

“Leaders should provide leadership; democracy needs to be sensitive to the people. The unfortunate situation with the current reality is that the political class, especially the executive, is totally insensitive to the Nigerian people, almost offensively intolerant of what Nigerians think,” he said.

“In fact, if you wanted Pantami to go, the thing to tell the government is “Pantami should stay” and they will do the exact opposite, because they have total disregard for the Nigerian people.

“So, I have no judgment, personally, as to whether or not Pantami should go. The thing is the whole democratic order has failed us. What Nigeria needs is to restore a sense of belief in democracy by doing something really dramatic.

“Right now, the legitimacy of this regime is gone. I believe that one of the ways we can move forward is to, immediately, put together a government of national unity, to see if we can bring some legitimacy back to government.”