Adeboro Adamson, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has supported the Department of State Services’ legal case against the contentious shadow government that former presidential candidate Professor Pat Utomi proclaimed.
Adamson praised the DSS for staying within the bounds of the constitution during a live interview on Arise TV on Sunday night, calling its strategy “civilized” and compliant with its legal duty.
Among other things, the DSS’s mandate calls for the detection and prevention of espionage, terrorism, and subversion. The senior lawyer said, “How do we place the erudite professor’s claim that he has put together individuals who will man what he dubbed a shadow cabinet if one of the DSS’s mandates is to prevent subversion?”
Utomi, a professor of political economy and a significant voice in opposition circles, had recently introduced what he dubbed the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, presenting it as a “national emergency response” program. He claims that the action is intended to track how well the current administration is performing, spot governance flaws, and offer substitute policy alternatives in important areas.
However, both legal experts and political actors have responded strongly to the plan.
The DSS launched a judicial challenge, arguing that the action would jeopardize national stability and that such a parallel governing structure is unconstitutional.Adamson justified the agency’s decision, stating that it was better than a criminal crackdown and that it was also within its purview.
“Some might ask why the DSS chose a civil suit over a criminal one? My answer is that the DSS has chosen to submit to the courts to determine if the actions and utterances of the revered professor can be situated within the confines of the Constitution,” Adamson said.
He added, “This is a civilized way of doing things.”
Also reacting, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, went a step further by labelling Utomi’s proposal as an act of treason.
Taking to his social media platforms, Omokri said, “What Professor Utomi is doing is not activism. It is treason. You cannot create a shadow government in a country with a constitutionally elected President. That is a coup by other means.”
Utomi, however, insists that his coalition is neither illegal nor unconstitutional.
Speaking at the launch of the shadow government, he said, “This is not an attempt to overthrow the government. It is a national emergency response. We will observe, critique and offer alternatives in education, health, security, and governance.”The DSS has yet to comment publicly on the court proceedings, but sources within the agency suggest that the service considers the project as a potential danger to constitutional order and public stability.
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