•Professor Pat Utomi
Foremost Nigerian Political Economist and convener of Nigeria’s shadow government, Prof. Pat Utomi, has thrown his weight behind the coalition of opposition political parties in the bid to oust President Bola Tinubu from power in 2017.
Utomi, who described the growing culture of defection of politicians from one political party to another, said the practice was a display of poor understanding of political culture and ideology, reports Vanguard.
He spoke after a retreat by members of his shadow government in Abuja yesterday.
Prof. Utomi said, “Our democracy has suffered very, very badly. We have become part of the theatre, and we’re cheering as the country is dying.”
Utomi explained that the Shadow Government he has put together was targeted at enhancing good governance based on ideology, clarity and expertise.
Recall, the Department of State Services had approached a court to demand that the judiciary declare Prof. Utomi’s action as an affront to the Constitution and was illegal. A judicial pronouncement on the dispute is still being expected.
Utomi also urged members of the coalition to look beyond their individual interests and channel their energy and resources towards building a platform that would liberate Nigerians and Nigeria from the current socio-economic suffering.
He advised members not to see the new platform as a mere political vehicle for election purposes but rather a vehicle with a clear ideological orientation.
Utomi said, “Our prayer is that they remember it should not just be about winning elections. They should work on how to govern, because that’s the major problem we have in Nigeria.”
According to him, the country’s democratic space has become “theatre-like”, where political players are cheered on while the country suffers.
“We wake up one day and the only news that seems to matter is who has defected,” he lamented. It means those people, from the outset, did not understand why they were elected.”
Professor Utomi also criticised what he described as the distortion of legislative responsibilities, particularly the focus on constituency projects, saying this undermines the principle of checks and balances.
He further explained that the shadow government comprises individuals from opposition parties who are assigned to monitor specific government departments and policy areas.
While eulogising former President Umaru Yar’Adua for his contributions to inclusiveness in politics, Utomi said the late President had proposed the formation of a shadow cabinet as far back as 2008.
“He didn’t find it alarming. He thought it was part of the evolution of democracy. The only problem was that he wanted me to join his cabinet. I have just created another one,” he said.
In her remarks, the shadow minister of communications and public orientation, Nana Sani Kazaure, made an appeal for a shift in public discourse to issues of genuine concern for the welfare and security of citizens.
She further charged Nigerians across board to prioritise national unity and development over ethnic, religious, or partisan divisions.
The ADC coalition parades political heavyweights including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi; former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai; former Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun among others.
