Pat Utomi responds to DSS court action over shadow government

Renowned political economist and former presidential aspirant, Professor Pat Utomi, has broken his silence following legal action initiated against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly establishing a shadow government aimed at challenging the Bola Tinubu-led administration.

According to reports by Daily Sun, the DSS filed a suit against Utomi at the Federal High Court in Abuja after he announced the formation of a shadow cabinet on May 5 — a move perceived by the secret police as subversive.

In a defiant post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Utomi revealed that hundreds of Nigerians have expressed solidarity with him, with a group reportedly mobilizing 500 lawyers to defend him in court.

“I am heartened by messages of solidarity from across Nigeria on this shadowy business of chasing shadows of shadow cabinets. Reminds me of the Nigeria I used to know,” Utomi wrote.

He condemned what he described as the erosion of democratic freedoms in Nigeria, asserting that the ability of citizens to organize and hold their leaders accountable should not be criminalized.

“This is how democracy died in Nigeria. Where citizens cannot organize themselves to ask questions of their agents,” he said.

Referencing his past role in organizing a national conference on Nigeria’s future during the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha, Utomi drew a parallel between his current ordeal and past democratic struggles, noting that similar gatherings were once supported by the Catholic Church under the guidance of figures like Bishop Matthew Kukah.

Utomi declared that he is prepared to face the consequences of his actions, including possible arrest or worse.

“Will arrive on June 12 and head to Abiola’s residence. My hands are primed for handcuffs and if the Aquino treatment from Marcos — bullet at the airport — is preferred, I submit willingly like a lamb led to slaughter,” he stated.

He further warned that President Tinubu, who once benefited from democratic activism during the Abacha regime, will not escape the eventual judgment of history.

“What is certain is that Tinubu will not escape that same fate,” Utomi added.

Ending his message with powerful invocations of freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Saint Thomas More, Utomi reaffirmed his commitment to the cause of democracy in Nigeria.

“I am emboldened to chant ‘Freedom now.’ If we die, we die,” he declared.