Economist and political activist, Professor Pat Utomi, has responded defiantly to the legal action brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) following his establishment of a shadow government aimed at providing a credible opposition to the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
On May 5, Utomi officially launched the ‘Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government’—an initiative that he said draws membership from across Nigeria’s opposition parties. The coalition is tasked with closely monitoring and critiquing government policies while offering alternative solutions in key sectors such as the economy, education, healthcare, infrastructure, law and order, and constitutional reform.
However, the DSS has dragged Utomi to court, accusing the former African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate of attempting to usurp the constitutional powers of the president. The agency alleged that Utomi’s actions could destabilize the country and spark chaos.
In a strongly worded post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, Utomi rejected the DSS’s accusations, describing them as a diversion from pressing constitutional failures and an attack on democratic freedoms. He expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support he has received, revealing that some citizens are mobilizing as many as 500 lawyers to defend him.
“I am heartened by messages of solidarity from across Nigeria on this shadowy business of chasing shadows of shadow cabinets,” Utomi wrote. “Reminds me of the Nigeria I used to know… It’s energizing that people are willing to organize in my defense.”
Utomi criticized the government for what he sees as misplaced priorities and moral decay, noting that true national progress cannot be achieved by “worshiping money and power at the expense of our children’s future.” He called on all people of conscience to resist what he termed a descent into “darkness.”
He also pointed out a constitutional inconsistency, highlighting that elected officials who defect from their political parties should by law forfeit their seats—yet such matters are ignored while efforts to hold government accountable are criminalized. “If DSS enjoys going to court, it should prosecute such,” he stated.
Recalling his role in Nigeria’s historic pro-democracy movement under the Sani Abacha regime, Utomi compared the current political climate to that era of repression. He referenced his involvement in organizing a major democratic conference at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Ikeja, Lagos, under the leadership of religious figures like then Fr. Kukah and Fr. George Ehusani.
“This is how democracy dies in Nigeria,” he lamented. “Where citizens cannot organize themselves to ask questions of their agents.”
Utomi declared his readiness to face any consequences for his activism, even suggesting he is prepared for arrest—or worse. “I will arrive on June 12 and head to Abiola’s residence. My hands are primed for handcuffs… If the Aquino treatment from Marcos—a bullet at the airport—is preferred, I submit willingly like a lamb led to slaughter. Death is no big deal.”
In a deeply emotional tone, Utomi compared his stance to that of global icons of resistance and justice—Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and St. Thomas More. He reaffirmed his commitment to democratic ideals and expressed his willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom.
Quoting astronomer Carl Sagan, Utomi concluded with a reflection on the fragility and unity of human existence, declaring, “I am emboldened to chant: Freedom now. If we die, we die.”
