Former presidential aide and political analyst Laolu Akande has downplayed concerns over Professor Pat Utomi’s proposed shadow government, describing it as an innocuous political exercise rather than a subversive act warranting the attention of Nigeria’s intelligence community.
Speaking during an interview on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television Friday morning, Akande called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to focus on more urgent national security challenges instead of Utomi’s initiative.
“I would advise the DSS people not to bother themselves too much. There are more important things for the DSS to deal with. Please, let’s do that. Just leave Utomi alone, he’s just having fun,” Akande said.
Professor Utomi, a former presidential candidate and political economist, recently floated the idea of forming a shadow government to provide alternative policy directions and intellectually challenge the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The DSS, however, filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja earlier this week, warning that the move could be illegal and destabilizing.
While declining to rule on the legality of Utomi’s idea, Akande emphasized its intention was not to undermine or overthrow the government but to stimulate democratic debate and policy alternatives.
“Whether it’s against the law—I wouldn’t be able to say that. I’ll let the lawyers do that determination. But I think it’s an expression of an idea,” he noted.
Akande, a former spokesperson for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, also used the opportunity to criticise the current state of Nigeria’s political opposition, arguing that parties like the PDP and Labour Party have failed to fill the ideological and policy vacuum in the public discourse.
“The credit we can’t deny Professor Pat Utomi is that he understands there’s a serious vacuum, even in terms of contesting ideas with the current administration. The opposition—whether it’s PDP or LP—has completely lost that footing,” he said.
Akande stressed that Utomi’s shadow cabinet concept is not about taking over power but providing “specific alternatives and ideas” in a space where the opposition appears dormant.
“He says it’s not to bring down any government. It’s just to provide ideas, specific ideas and alternatives,” Akande said.
“It seems to be somebody who understands that we have to contest ideas—even with a ruling party, which is not existing.”
Still, Akande expressed skepticism about the long-term impact of the shadow cabinet, suggesting it may be more symbolic than practical.
“I don’t see it as a very viable thing that is going to happen. I think Utomi is just trying to say, ‘Look, this space is empty—we can’t leave this in a vacuum.’ That’s what I see.”
Utomi has gained support from various quarters following the DSS’s legal move against him, with some Nigerians reportedly mobilising 500 lawyers to defend him in court.
The broader debate continues over whether the concept of a shadow government in Nigeria can meaningfully enhance political engagement—or whether it risks being misunderstood as a subversive challenge to constitutional authority.
