Renowned economist and political activist, Professor Pat Utomi, he’s like a really big deal, you know? He’s all about that opposition life now, with the formation of a “shadow government” to, like, critique President Bola Tinubu’s administration. This move is happening after that whole opposition coalition thing announced by Atiku Abubakar, you know, the former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The top economist-turned politician is calling this new coalition a “national emergency response” under the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government banner, virtually launched and all.
So, like, this new movement is made up of peeps from different opposition parties, and Professor Utomi says they’re gonna be a legit opposition to the APC-led administration. He’s all about saving Nigeria’s democracy because of all the defections happening that are turning the country into a one-party state. The new group will be using their experiences, expertise, and learnings to, like, constantly check out what the government is up to, point out policy failures, and suggest better solutions in important areas.
They’re focusing on the economy, education, healthcare, infrastructure, law and order, and constitutional reforms, you know, all the important stuff. And get this, human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi is gonna be leading the Ombudsman and Good Governance portfolio. Plus, there’s gonna be a Policy Delivery Unit with peeps like Oghene Momoh, Cheta Nwanze, Daniel Ikuonobe, Halima Ahmed, David Okonkwo, and Obi Ajuga.
The shadow cabinet will also include experts and professionals like Dr Mani Ahmad, Peter Oyewole, Dr Omano Edigheji, Dr Adefolusade Adebayo, Dr Peter Agadah, and Dr Sadiq Gombe. And like, a whole bunch more folks that are, you know, too many to list here. The group is gonna be meeting weekly to go over public policy and suggest reforms that focus on integrity and transparency, which Professor Utomi thinks are lacking in the current administration.
According to him, “The recent spate of defections to the APC shows that democracy in Nigeria isn’t doing so great. We gotta have a real opposition that can call out the incumbents for their failures and offer better options. If not, we’re just letting the people down, you know?”
The shadow team is also gonna be looking into ethics, transparency, and integrity issues that have been plaguing the government. And like, they’re really concerned about the rising poverty in the country, with companies shutting down and millions of peeps out of work. It’s a tough situation, man.
Professor Utomi also thinks that the government has been using the consensus among politicians to hide their bad planning. He’s, like, not happy about how they handled the petroleum subsidy removal and thinks they need to do better. When it comes to security reform, he’s all about decentralised policing and empowering communities to take care of their own security.
“Policing should be a local thing, you know? We gotta get the communities involved and have their own police forces, along with state police and a Federal National Guard,” he said. Corruption and centralisation are making it hard to make these changes, though.
With a diverse range of professionals and public figures from the opposition, this team is gonna be more than just a think tank. They’re gonna be a policy watchdog, ready to challenge the government’s decisions with credible alternatives. So, like, watch out, APC, ’cause the shadow government is here to stay.
