Professor Pat Utomi, a former presidential candidate, says he may leave Nigeria over alleged attempts to silence him.
On 5th May, Utomi announced the formation of a shadow government. The initiative, launched online under the banner of the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, aims to serve as a “credible opposition” to the President Bola Tinubu administration.
A shadow government is an alternative political structure that monitors and criticises the ruling government’s policies, similar to what exists in countries like the United Kingdom.
However, the Department of State Services (DSS) – Nigeria’s secret police – filed a lawsuit against Utomi at the federal high court in Abuja. They asked the court to declare that the shadow government is “unconstitutional” and to stop Utomi from making public comments or organising rallies to promote his shadow cabinet.
In a separate court application, the secret service, through its lawyer Akinlolu Kehinde, told the court that through monitoring and intelligence reports, they discovered that Utomi, who is currently abroad and was due to return on 6th June, plans to “stage road shows and rallies under the guise of freedom of speech and association in a bid to cause public discontent in furtherance of his establishment of the purported shadow government/shadow cabinet”.
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Also, in supporting documents, the DSS added that Utomi’s intention is to stage road shows and rallies that are “capable of drawing a large number of Nigerians with intent that will cause huge disruption of peace, breakdown of public order, enable riots and violent protests just as the recent ‘End SARS’ protests in 2020”.
Consequently, the secret service told the court that if Utomi’s alleged planned actions are not stopped, the protests, riots and agitations that will follow may lead to chaos with potential for anarchy, loss of lives and property.
In response to these allegations, speaking in an interview with The Punch on Wednesday, Utomi expressed frustration with the authorities’ actions, saying he may consider leaving the country over efforts to suppress his voice.
“I’m getting fed up with all of this. If they are ready to shut my voice, I am ready to go to Ghana or anywhere else and live peacefully,” he said.
“I will retire next year and leave them to do whatever they want to do. I’m looking for a better country for the next generation. But politicians make it look like dissenting comments.
“I want to inspire the next generation to be free and make progress. Now it is up to them.
“It is up to the current generation to realise that there are people who don’t want their country to grow.”
Meanwhile, the professor said Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other lawyers have filed a defence on his behalf in response to the DSS lawsuit.
