Economist and political activist Professor Pat Utomi has stated that he is neither afraid of arrest nor death, following legal action taken against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) over his establishment of a shadow government.
It will be recalled that on May 5, Utomi unveiled the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government—an initiative he described as a legitimate opposition platform aimed at holding Bola Tinubu’s administration accountable.
According to Utomi, the coalition includes members from opposition parties and civil society groups, with the mandate to monitor government activities, highlight policy shortcomings, and propose alternative solutions in critical areas such as the economy, education, healthcare, and constitutional reform.
However, the DSS has taken Utomi, a former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to court, accusing him of attempting to usurp executive powers and warning that his actions could spark instability.
In a statement posted on his official X account on Friday, Utomi dismissed the allegations and reaffirmed his dedication to democracy and the right to free expression.
“I am heartened by messages of solidarity from across Nigeria on this shadowy business of chasing shadows of shadow cabinets,” he wrote. “It’s energising that some want to put together 500 lawyers to defend me against the DSS.”
Utomi criticized the priorities of Nigeria’s intelligence agency, arguing that the Department of State Services (DSS) should redirect its efforts toward upholding constitutional mandates, particularly those concerning political defections.
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“It’s astonishing that we’re fixated on trivialities while the constitution is being undermined by those in power,” he said. “The law clearly states that lawmakers who defect from the parties on whose platform they were elected must vacate their seats. If the DSS is so eager to go to court, that’s where it should focus.”
The political economist also reflected on his history of pro-democracy activism during General Sani Abacha’s military regime, recalling a pivotal moment in the 1990s when he chaired a national dialogue on Nigeria’s future at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Ikeja, Lagos.
“Under Abacha, we brought Nigerians together at St. Leo in Ikeja for a conference on the future of Nigeria. I chaired the planning which came out of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, on the watch of then Fr. (Matthew Hassan) Kukah and (George) Ehusani,” he recalled. “Now for shadowing democracy, hell comes.”
Utomi announced his intention to return to Nigeria on June 12—a date symbolizing the nation’s struggle for democracy—declaring that he is prepared to face any consequences.
“My hands are primed for handcuffs, and if the Aquino treatment from Marcos bullet at the airport is preferred, I submit willing like a lamb led to slaughter. Death is no big deal. Four of my friends are in the morgue,” he wrote.
Utomi also issued a warning to Bola Tinubu, implying that no one escapes the judgment of history.
“What is certain is that Tinubu will not escape that same fate… We all ultimately go the way of man.”
Drawing inspiration from freedom icons such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr., Utomi reaffirmed his resolve to continue speaking truth to power.
“To the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and the holy watch of St. Thomas More, I raise the meaning of being for what is left of my time on this stage,” he stated.
Referencing Carl Sagan’s “pale blue dot” speech, he concluded, “I am emboldened to chant ‘freedom now.’ If we die, we die.”
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