{"id":350301,"date":"2011-03-30T16:49:35","date_gmt":"2011-03-30T16:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/30\/utomi-withdraws-from-presidential-race-backs-shekarau\/"},"modified":"2011-03-30T16:49:35","modified_gmt":"2011-03-30T16:49:35","slug":"utomi-withdraws-from-presidential-race-backs-shekarau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/30\/utomi-withdraws-from-presidential-race-backs-shekarau\/","title":{"rendered":"Utomi withdraws from presidential race, backs Shekarau"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By Olasunkanmi Akoni<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP,\u00a0 Prof Pat Utomi,\u00a0 Wednesday,\u00a0 formally bowed out of the 2011 presidential race, endorsing Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigerian Peoples Party ANPP.<\/p>\n

In a message titled: \u201cWalking My Talk : A Cry For My Beloved Country\u2019\u2019 Utomi said that \u201cthose who could have voted for him should transfer the votes to Shekarau\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n

It will be recalled that Utomi\u2019s withdrawal came a day after he was praised by Nigerians for his brilliant performance at the Presidential debate held\u00a0 Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

*Prof Utomi<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Utomi told his supporters and the Media that \u201che would be sending a letter to INEC later in the day, withdrawing from the race.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will be committing myself now to constitutional reforms and to building a new Nigeria.<\/p>\n

\u201cA month ago, I suggested I was rethinking how the spirit of service for the good of all could be deployed outside of partisan politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow in full view of the 2011 election campaign as failing to being our competing ideas for governance, I decided I would make a statement on my continuing participation in the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the 2011 elections cycle rolled around about a year and half ago, the last thought on my mind was to be a candidate for any office\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

The SDMP presidential candidate said that he was persuaded that offering a clear vision of a new Nigeria would at the least result in having leaders committed to serving the people sacrificially.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was convinced, that would move Nigeria away from the column of paradise deferred to new possibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I met Late Chief Anthony Enahoro,\u00a0 I had been briefed about a movement to bring together the progressive opposition to form a united front to bring change about.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ideas began to circulate to bring the progressives together under one platform which was narrowed to SDMP, A.C.N, CPC and ANPP\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Utomi pointed out that he entered the process with one goal of producing a formidable opposition which has not worked,\u00a0 hence his decision to quit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was important was focus to have one single ticket and I was willing to step down to achieve that\u2019\u2019 he stressed.<\/p>\n

Utomi said that \u201cTo pretend that there will be change\u00a0 in Nigerian democracy is deceit\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can we pretend that we have a democracy. This is not a democracy\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

He however said that one of the challenges to have a democracy is campaign finance reforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur country is not working and yet we can\u2019t replace those who are failing the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is interesting that we use what Gowon did in 1966, bringing Nigeria\u2019s best into one serious government.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will provide us a foundation to finding lasting democracy\u2019\u2019. He said.<\/p>\n

Utomi said that there was also need to re-invent Nigeria Civil service adding that the quality of service we have today is nothing o write home about.<\/p>\n

He added that to accomplish all the goals of\u00a0 the desired democracy, Nigeria needs a citizen\u2019s democracy.<\/p>\n

Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<\/p>\n

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.<\/a>
\nblog comments powered by <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\nUtomi withdraws from presidential race, backs Shekarau<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Olasunkanmi Akoni The Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP,\u00a0 Prof Pat Utomi,\u00a0 Wednesday,\u00a0 formally bowed out of the 2011 presidential race, endorsing Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigerian Peoples Party ANPP. In a message titled: \u201cWalking My Talk : A Cry For My Beloved Country\u2019\u2019 Utomi said that \u201cthose who could have voted for him should transfer the votes to Shekarau\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-350301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nUtomi withdraws from presidential race, backs Shekarau - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/30\/utomi-withdraws-from-presidential-race-backs-shekarau\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Utomi withdraws from presidential race, backs Shekarau - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"By Olasunkanmi Akoni The Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP,\u00a0 Prof Pat Utomi,\u00a0 Wednesday,\u00a0 formally bowed out of the 2011 presidential race, endorsing Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigerian Peoples Party ANPP. 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