Prominent economist and political activist, Professor Pat Utomi, has inaugurated a shadow government made up of individuals from various opposition parties, aiming to provide an alternative platform for policy direction and national discourse.
The “Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government,” launched virtually on Monday evening, is designed to function as a credible opposition force, spotlighting the failures of President Bola Tinubu’s administration while offering constructive solutions for governance.
However, the Federal Government swiftly condemned the initiative, describing it as an aberration incompatible with Nigeria’s federal system. In an interview with The PUNCH, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated:
“At a time when our nation is set to celebrate 26 unbroken years of presidential democracy, the idea of a so-called shadow government is an aberration.
Nigeria is not a parliamentary system where such practice exists, and there is no provision for it in our statute books.
While opposition politics is a key feature of democracy, it must be practised within the bounds of propriety.
Our bicameral legislature already features opposition voices and is the appropriate forum for advancing policy ideas.”
Defending the move, Utomi said the formation of the shadow cabinet was a response to deepening national crises and what he termed “policy failures” by the current administration, which have led to worsening poverty, the flight of multinational companies, increased insecurity, and systemic corruption.
“If a genuine opposition does not courageously identify performance failures of incumbents, offer alternatives, and influence national discourse, it becomes complicit in subverting the will of the people,” Utomi argued.
He warned against the growing reliance on propaganda by the ruling party, likening it to tactics used by fascist regimes to silence dissent.
“The APC’s use of propaganda mirrors fascist tendencies. Like Goebbels did for Hitler, a barrage of misinformation now seeks to drown out reasoned critique and policy analysis,” he said.
Utomi also criticised the manner in which the petroleum subsidy was removed, calling it poorly sequenced and damaging to the economy.
“It wasn’t the removal itself but the execution. Thoughtful sequencing could have prevented the economic hardship we see today,” he noted.
The shadow cabinet, he revealed, will hold weekly meetings to evaluate government policy and propose actionable alternatives. Key areas of focus include:
Among those appointed are:
Dele Farotimi – Head, Ombudsman and Good Governance Portfolio
Oghene Momoh, Cheta Nwanze, Daniel Ikuonobe, Halima Ahmed, David Okonkwo, and Obi Ajuga – Policy Delivery Unit
Dr. Adefolusade Adebayo, Dr. Peter Agadah, Dr. Sadiq Gombe, Chibuzor Nwachukwu, Salvation Alibor, Bilkisu Magoro, Dr. Victor Tubo, Charles Odibo, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Eunice Atuejide, Gbenga Ajayi, Dr. Mani Ahmad, Peter Oyewole, and Dr. Omano Edigheji – Shadow Cabinet Members
Additional appointees include Sidi Ali, Ibrahim Abdukarim, Adenike Oriola, Promise Adewusi, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, Mr. Ambrose Obimma, Rwang Pam, Dr. Kingsley Anedo, Prof. Auwal Aliyu, Dr. Ghazali Ado, Ms. Nana Kazaure, Aisha Yusuf, Dr. Charles Gilbert, and Olujimi Akiboh.
Utomi said ethical governance will be a cornerstone of the group’s mission:
“We must address the ethical vacuum in leadership. Transparency, integrity, and accountability are indispensable to sustainable development.”
He also called for a decentralised policing system:
“Security is fundamentally a local function. Communities should have their own trained police forces, complemented by state police and a Federal National Guard.”
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