Pat Utomi unveils shadow government to challenge Tinubu administration

Renowned economist and political activist, Professor Pat Utomi, has inaugurated a shadow government comprising members of various opposition parties, describing it as a bold move to offer credible alternatives to the policies of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

The “Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government” was unveiled virtually on Monday evening.

According to Utomi, the initiative is intended to respond to what he termed a national emergency triggered by escalating poverty, deepening insecurity, widespread corruption, and policy failures under the current federal government.

“The imperative is that if a genuine opposition does not courageously identify the performance failures of incumbents, offer options, and influence culture in a counter direction, it will be complicit in subverting the will of the people,” Utomi stated.

Utomi criticized the administration for mismanaging the economy, which he said has forced multinational companies to exit the Nigerian market and left millions unemployed.

He also decried the government’s handling of security in states like Benue and Plateau, where terrorist activity has led to mass displacement and fear.

Addressing the controversial removal of the petroleum subsidy, Utomi condemned the manner in which it was executed, claiming it was poorly sequenced and inflicted avoidable hardship on ordinary Nigerians.

He further slammed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for its alleged reliance on propaganda, comparing it to fascist tactics that suppress dissent and rational discourse.

“The resort to propaganda as a tool of governing makes rational discussion of the decisions of the APC government difficult, moving us more towards fascist conditions,” Utomi said, likening the tactic to Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda machinery in Nazi Germany.

The newly formed shadow cabinet includes over 30 prominent professionals and political figures drawn from across Nigeria.

Among them are human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, who will lead the Ombudsman and Good Governance portfolio, as well as policy experts such as Cheta Nwanze, Halima Ahmed, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Eunice Atuejide, and Dr. Omano Edigheji.

Other notable members include Dr. Sadiq Gombe, Dr. Peter Agadah, Salvation Alibor, and Prof. Auwal Aliyu.

Utomi said the cabinet will meet weekly to assess national developments, critique government actions, and present policy alternatives in key areas including economic development, healthcare, education, infrastructure, security, law and order, and constitutional reform.

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He emphasized the urgent need for a practical economic growth strategy focused on stimulating local production, supporting entrepreneurship, and expanding value chains.

According to him, only such an approach can rescue Nigeria from its current economic morass.

“Nothing is more urgent than tackling the rising poverty across the country,” he said. “The argument that pain from policies is inevitable is undermined by the wasteful use of public resources for executive comfort.”

On the issue of security, Utomi reiterated his long-standing advocacy for a decentralised policing structure.

He proposed a three-tier security framework that would empower communities with their own armed and trained forces, supported by state police and a Federal National Guard.

“Policing for me is a local function. It appears the corruption ‘benefit’ of centralisation is fanning rationalisation of centralisation,” he noted.

He also lambasted the political elite for being preoccupied with electoral gains rather than service delivery, arguing that the people’s welfare has been relegated in favour of political positioning.

“This shadow team must emphasise returning to the people and enabling their pursuit of happiness. That is the purpose of government,” Utomi said. “Too much misery parades itself in our country, and it needs to be forced out.”

The shadow government, he said, would serve not only as a policy think tank but as a moral compass advocating transparency, integrity, and ethical leadership.

He challenged the cabinet to uphold these standards and to not be discouraged if their ideas are adopted by the current administration.