I Think He’s Severely Challenged Because He Has Legitimacy Crisis’ -Pat Utomi On Tinubu’s Presidency

Professor Pat Utomi, a renowned expert in political economy, has asserted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently facing a significant legitimacy crisis. Utomi expressed these views while discussing the initial months of Tinubu’s presidency and the broader issue of legitimacy in Nigerian politics.

During an interview in a video (7:30) on Nigerian Info FM, when asked to analyze Tinubu’s presidency and offer his perspective, Utomi stated, “I think that he’s severely challenged because he has a legitimacy crisis. You can’t govern without legitimacy.”

When questioned about whether winning a legal case might improve Tinubu’s governance, Utomi responded, “It depends on the concept of legitimacy and how legitimacy crystallizes. I went out of my way to discuss it in a press briefing a few weeks ago. One of the best conversations about legitimacy was offered by an American political sociologist named Seymour Martin Lipset in the book ‘The First New Nation,’ where he delves into this subject.”

He emphasized that while winning an election can grant initial legitimacy, true legitimacy is an ongoing process. Utomi criticized Nigerian politics for often failing to grasp the essence of legitimacy and the duty of serving the people. He pointed out that politicians sometimes view politics as a means to acquire power rather than a platform for serving the public.

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