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LAGOS, NIGERIA — Professor Pat Utomi has warned that Nigeria is approaching a dangerous social and political crossroads, citing widespread poverty, hunger, insecurity, institutional decline and growing public distrust as major threats to national stability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Utomi, who spoke at an emergency press conference organised by the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) and the Big Tent of the National Consultative Front (NCFront) in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, said the prevailing conditions required urgent national intervention.
The political economist said the level of hardship across the country had become increasingly difficult to ignore, warning that the combination of economic deprivation and political frustration could trigger what he described as the “revenge of the poor.”
“The state of our nation is troubling. The pain, the hunger and the anger in the land is so palpable you could slice it with a blunt knife,” Utomi said.
He cited poverty and food insecurity figures attributed to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying millions of Nigerians were struggling to meet basic needs.
Utomi also drew attention to the deteriorating condition of major roads and economic corridors, citing the Lagos-Onitsha Highway and particularly the Benin-Asaba section as examples of infrastructure challenges confronting citizens and businesses.
According to him, a journey that previously took about one hour and 10 minutes between Benin and Asaba could now take more than three and a half hours because of the condition of the road.
He said the deteriorating infrastructure was compounding the hardship faced by citizens and businesses, while social media platforms were increasingly being used to highlight the condition of roads across Edo State.
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Insecurity, Institutional Distrust
The MCE and Big Tent leader also expressed concern over the persistence of insecurity across the country.
Utomi referenced the probe ordered by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde into security-related developments, suggesting that the outcome could raise questions about the activities of some political actors.
He further lamented what he described as declining public confidence in key institutions, including the judiciary, police and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to him, a significant number of Nigerians also no longer believe that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) operates with the level of independence required to guarantee public confidence in elections.
The situation, he said, had been worsened by the pressure placed on citizens by economic hardship and a health system that was struggling to respond adequately to the consequences of the crisis.
Utomi said the scale of financial distress had become so widespread that many Nigerians who were previously regarded as members of the hardworking middle class were increasingly seeking financial assistance.
He blamed the situation largely on policy choices that, in his assessment, had prioritised political elites over the basic welfare of citizens.
‘Politics Of Division Dangerous’
The professor also criticised what he described as the increasing use of ethnic, religious and political divisions in the country’s public discourse.
He alleged that some political actors were moving away from rational engagement and increasingly deploying hate speech and identity politics as instruments of political mobilisation.
Utomi warned that the widening social cleavages and declining trust in public institutions represented a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic stability.
He particularly criticised the reaction of some government-linked actors to concerns raised by Catholic bishops over the hardship confronting Nigerians.
According to him, the bishops were merely offering feedback and urging those in authority to respond to the suffering of citizens with compassion.
Utomi welcomed the intervention of the Northern Christians Association, which he said helped to counter attempts to create divisions among Christian groups over the bishops’ position.
He argued that the growing disparity between Nigeria’s political elite and ordinary citizens had created what he described as a “tale of two cities” — one characterised by extreme political wealth and the other by severe economic deprivation.
Demand For Electoral Reform
A significant part of the press conference focused on the 2027 elections and the need to strengthen the electoral process.
Utomi accused INEC of disenfranchising young Nigerians by allegedly restricting continuous voter registration in a manner he said was inconsistent with the Electoral Act.
He called on civil society organisations and concerned citizens to challenge any action by the electoral body that could prevent eligible Nigerians from registering to vote.
“INEC must stop wilfully violating the Electoral Act in disenfranchising young Nigerians by illegally stopping continuous voter registration,” he said.
The MCE and Big Tent leader further urged citizens and civic groups to pursue legal avenues where necessary, insisting that electoral institutions must operate within the law.
He declared that “impunity must end in Nigeria if Nigeria is to survive.”
MCE, Big Tent Seek Live Streaming From Polling Units
Utomi disclosed that the MCE and Big Tent were developing a strategy aimed at improving transparency and public confidence in the 2027 elections.
According to him, the groups’ objective is to ensure live streaming from polling units nationwide during the 2027 polls, alongside what he described as “complex redundancy” in the INEC Election Results Viewing (IReV) system.
He said the proposed measures were intended to prevent the type of technical and transparency concerns that emerged during the 2023 elections.
“Our goal in the MCE and Big Tent is to ensure live streaming from all polling booths in the 2027 polls and complex redundancy in IReV offerings such that there will be no room for glitches like in 2023,” he said.
The groups said credible elections would be critical to restoring confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions and providing citizens with a peaceful avenue to demand better governance.
Call For Massive Voter Participation
Utomi also urged Nigerians to prepare for strong participation in the 2027 electoral process, describing the coming election as an opportunity for citizens to begin what he called a “new journey of national redemption.”
He said the country’s current challenges required citizens to become more actively involved in defending democratic institutions and demanding accountability from political leaders.
The emergency press conference was convened against the backdrop of growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the MCE and Big Tent positioning credible elections, institutional accountability and citizen participation as central elements of their campaign for democratic renewal.
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