Nigeria Would Have Been Different If Yar’Adua Lived, Says Pat Utomi

Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, has said Nigeria would have been a “different place” if former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had lived to complete his tenure in office.

Utomi made the remarks during an interview programme, C-Suite Cafe, where he described the late president as a committed patriot who genuinely wanted to improve the country.

Yar’Adua died on May 5, 2010, after serving as president for nearly three years. He was succeeded by his then Vice-President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Recalling his interactions with Yar’Adua, Utomi said the former president once invited him to the Presidential Villa in an effort to persuade him to join his administration as a minister.

According to Utomi, he initially declined the offer, explaining that he believed he could contribute more effectively by providing advice to the government when consulted rather than becoming a cabinet member.

Yar’Adua, however, reportedly disagreed, insisting that Utomi could make a greater impact from within government.

Utomi said the former president argued that participating directly in government would give him a better opportunity to influence policies and contribute to national development.

Despite Yar’Adua’s persuasion, Utomi said he remained reluctant to join the administration because of the political environment at the time, particularly the dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He explained that he had already established what he described as a “shadow government” made up of people he believed had the capacity to contribute to national development outside government.

According to Utomi, Yar’Adua offered to engage members of the group personally and encourage them to join his administration in order to work together for the country.

Utomi described the gesture as an example of the kind of leadership Nigeria desperately needs.

He eventually proposed providing Yar’Adua with the names of seven Nigerians from different parts of the country whom he believed possessed the ability and expertise to make a meaningful difference in government.

Utomi said he compiled the list and handed it to Stephen Oronsaye, the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, for onward delivery to Yar’Adua.

However, according to Utomi, Yar’Adua became ill around that period and travelled abroad for medical treatment.

Utomi later learned that the former president may never have received the list. He said he was subsequently told that Yar’Adua might have died believing that he had rejected or ignored his invitation to join the government.

Reflecting on the episode, Utomi maintained that Yar’Adua was genuinely committed to Nigeria’s progress, despite whatever mistakes he may have made while in office.

He suggested that the late president’s death interrupted what could have been a different political and developmental trajectory for the country.

Yar’Adua’s administration was cut short by prolonged illness, leading to a constitutional transition that eventually saw Jonathan assume the presidency in 2010.