A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeboro Adamson, has backed the Department of State Services for taking legal action against the controversial shadow government announced by former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi.
Adamson, speaking during a live appearance on Arise TV on Sunday night, commended the DSS for remaining within its constitutional limits, describing its approach as “civilised” and in line with its legal mandate.
“The DSS has a mandate, which includes the detection and prevention of subversion, terrorism, espionage, among others. If one of the mandates of the DSS is to prevent subversion, how do we situate the statement of the erudite professor that he has assembled people who will man what he tagged a shadow cabinet?” the senior lawyer explained.
Utomi, a professor of political economy and a notable voice in opposition circles, had recently unveiled what he called the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, describing it as a “national emergency response” initiative.
According to him, the move is designed to monitor the performance of the current administration, identify lapses in governance, and provide alternative policy solutions across key sectors.
But the initiative has stirred strong reactions from political actors and legal experts alike.
The DSS, interpreting the move as a possible threat to national stability, filed a legal challenge, questioning the constitutional validity of such a parallel governance structure.
Adamson defended the agency’s choice of action, noting that it was not only within its remit but also preferable to a criminal crackdown.
“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.”
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