‘Revenge Of The Poor’ Looms: Pat Utomi Warns Of National Collapse Ahead Of 2027 Polls

LAGOS, Nigeria — In a blistering assessment of the nation’s trajectory, political economist Prof. Pat Utomi warned on Wednesday that Nigeria is sitting on a powder keg of unprecedented hunger, anger, and systemic institutional failure that could trigger a catastrophic “revenge of the poor” if left unchecked.

Speaking on behalf of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) and the National Consultative Front (NCFront) during an emergency press conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, Utomi painted a grim picture of a failing state where political actors live in opulence while weaponizing poverty against 35 million citizens facing severe food insecurity.

A Nation on the Brink

Utomi stated that the current social and economic fractures in the country are deeper and more dangerous than those witnessed during the Nigerian Civil War or the brutal military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha.

“The pain, the hunger, and the anger in the land is so palpable you could slice it with a blunt knife,” Utomi declared.

He noted that the collapse of the middle class has turned Nigeria into a “nation of beggars,” a crisis exacerbated by a healthcare system he categorized as a “man-made disaster” pushing citizens into severe mental health crises.

The activist also took aim at the country’s crumbling infrastructure, describing major economic lifelines—such as the Benin-Asaba corridor—as “death traps” and “mud tracks” that have left commuters stranded and cursing the government.

State Subversion and “Government by Propaganda”

The coalition fiercely condemned the government’s deployment of state agents to attack the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

The Bishops were targeted after politely urging leadership to look at the plight of citizens with compassion.

Utomi likened the current administration to the corrupt biblical shepherds slammed by the Prophet Ezekiel for feeding themselves while their flock starves.

Furthermore, the MCE raised alarms over allegations that elements within the government may be actively deploying terrorism and kidnapping as tools to score cheap political points .

War Footing for 2027: “Mutually Assured Destruction

“Vowing that civil society will no longer sit idly by, Utomi announced a strategy of “Mutually Assured Destruction” (MAD) aimed at enforcing strategic deterrence against electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The coalition issued a strict ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding an immediate end to the illegal halting of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

Utomi warned that if INEC continues to disenfranchise young voters, the public will take to the streets and drag the commission through the courts.

To prevent a repeat of the controversial 2023 elections, the MCE and Big Tent coalitions announced they are building complex technological redundancies to bypass INEC’s infrastructure

Their goal is to mandate live-streaming from every single polling booth across Nigeria in 2027 to ensure there is “no room for glitches”.

“The message is clear,” Utomi concluded, rallying citizens for a massive national redemption campaign starting this January.

“The people must stand up and force compromised institutions to do right, or pay a high price”