Utomi clarifies, shadow cabinet meant to “offer policy alternatives, strengthen democratic fabric through open dialogue”
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Pat Utomi has reiterated the legitimacy and necessity of a shadow cabinet as a vital instrument for democratic accountability, policy innovation, and the deepening of democratic values and reform.
The professor of political economy bared his mind at the fourth edition of the Topaz Lecture Series entitled, “Shadow Government, A distraction or Necessity”, hosted by the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Class of 1988 Alumni Association.
A statement issued by TOPAZ Secretary Kellas Agbasi quoted Utomi as explaining to a virtual audience of media professionals, political thinkers, and civil society actors that a shadow government is not a rebellious or parallel state structure.
Rather, he stressed, it is a civic platform to stimulate issue-based governance, offer policy alternatives, and strengthen democratic fabric through open dialogue.
“This is not an attempt to overthrow or undermine the government, but to foster constructive criticism and accountability. Shadow cabinets are a recognised democratic practice around the world, and Nigeria must embrace institutions that encourage performance and transparency,” Utomi clarified.
He said he pitched the idea to former President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008 and has since maintained the cabinet mainly at his own expense.
Utomi recently refloated the shadow cabinet idea which jolted Aso Rock and sparked public discourse, legal scrutiny, as well as a lawsuit by the Department of State Security (DSS) to try him.
However, supporters attribute the call to frustration with the cyclical political dysfunction and lack of ideological leadership in the country.
Utomi traced the conceptual roots of the shadow cabinet to a lecture he delivered in 2012, which influenced the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but lamented that the party has veered from its founding vision to a power-centric agenda.
He fielded questions at the lecture about the legality of using the term “shadow cabinet”, explaining that if the suit by the DSS succeeds, the group would adopt a different name.
In his view, the existence of a shadow cabinet is no more objectionable than the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) of which President Bola Tinubu was a member in the 1990s to form a government in exile.
“Our commitment is not to nomenclature, but to values. Nigeria urgently needs a space where policies are debated and where the government is constructively challenged to do better,” said Utomi, who is currently out of the country.
He warned of the dangers of anti-intellectualism and elite complacency in Nigeria’s political class, as failure to reform governance structures could result in a crisis similar to Somalia’s collapse.
According to him, only strong institutions and active citizen participation can safeguard Nigeria’s future.
Other highlights of the lecture included the question-and-answer segment, during which the Class of 1988 expressed gratitude to Utomi for his continued service to the nation and his role as a conscience for civic governance.
The Topaz Lecture Series is an intellectual platform for Nigerian alums and professionals to interrogate pressing national issues, promote civic values, and inspire transformative leadership.
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