Professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, has inaugurated a shadow cabinet under the platform of The Big Tent coalition, proposing it as a vehicle for policy alternatives to the current federal government.
During a press briefing in Abuja, following a two-day retreat, Utomi named Nana Kazaure (Information), Riwang Pam (Security), Nike Omola (Women and Gender Development), and Peter Agada (Infrastructure) as key members of the shadow cabinet.
According to him, the initiative is not meant to rival the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration but to provide expert policy reviews.
“The progress of any government is to ensure the welfare of the people,” Utomi told ARISE TV.
“There must be alternative views and reviews to help government move in the right direction.”
He criticized the trend of lawmakers engaging in project execution, arguing that it undermines their constitutional role.
“Legislators were not elected to execute projects, to do otherwise is to make them slaves who go cap in hand begging the executive,” he said.
“With this kind of practice, the members of the legislature will not be able to perform one of their basic duties, which is checks and balances.”
Utomi revealed that the concept of a shadow cabinet was first pitched to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007, which he followed up by turning down an offer to join Yar’Adua’s government. He also pointed out Nigeria’s absence of a coherent national strategy and political will, using the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway as a case of poorly thought-out unilateral policy.
He further criticized the federal government’s approach to agriculture, stating:
“The sector must move beyond ‘hoes and cutlasses’.”
On national security, he reiterated the urgent need for decentralization, “The government must prioritise insecurity and embrace state police.”
Turning to politics, Utomi declared support for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a viable platform capable of representing Nigerians seeking true alternatives to mainstream politics.
“The coalition is a work in progress, using value-driven projects to move the country forward,” he said.
Recall that on May 5, Utomi announced the formation of a shadow government under The Big Tent Coalition, which he described as a credible opposition to the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
However, the initiative has not gone without pushback. The Department of State Services (DSS) filed a suit at the Federal High Court, seeking to declare the shadow cabinet unconstitutional and to restrain Utomi from making public statements or organizing rallies.
According to the DSS, Utomi—who was abroad at the time but returned on June 6—had planned roadshows which they claimed were attempts to stir public unrest under the guise of freedom of speech. They warned that such actions could mimic the scale of the #EndSARS protests, potentially leading to riots and national instability.
In response, Utomi voiced his dissatisfaction with the government’s approach saying he may consider leaving the country, citing efforts to suppress his voice and the broader civic space.
