Pat Utomi: I’ve Been Fighting With Buba Galadima for 50 Years, Yet We’re Still Friends

Former presidential candidate and political economist Pat Utomi has revealed that he has been locked in political battles with Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), for five decades but the two remain close friends.

Utomi made the remark in Abuja during the inauguration of the NDC’s National Reconciliation Committee, set up to resolve disputes from congresses, conventions, and primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Buba Galadima and I have been fighting for 50 years, and we are still very good friends. So it means that we can equally make other people become friends,” Utomi said.

He described the assignment as both humbling and challenging, stressing that the committee’s work would help unify the party and prepare it for the future.

Utomi emphasized that the NDC is positioning itself as a party for young Nigerians, noting that the median age of the country is just 19.5 years.

The reconciliation committee, inaugurated on August 6, 2026, is composed of 23 members, with Utomi serving as chairman and Galadima as co-chairman.

Their mandate is to mediate disputes, heal divisions, and reintegrate aggrieved members before campaign deadlines.

The NDC has faced internal crises ranging from congress disagreements to post-primary election disputes.

Party leaders hope the reconciliation effort will strengthen unity and credibility ahead of the 2027 polls.

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