Amid rising national debate over the launch of a Shadow Government by the Big Tent Coalition, Professor Pat Utomi has clarified that the initiative is not a rebellion but a civic response to Nigeria’s worsening socio-economic challenges.
In a public statement on Thursday, Utomi, a political economist and leader to thought, addressed the mixed reactions that trailed the unveiling of the coalition’s Shadow Cabinet.
“We have been praised, questioned, criticised,and even caricatured,” he said. “This is healthy. In a democracy, public debate is not just welcome; it is necessary.”
The Big Tent Coalition’s Shadow Government, Utomi stressed, is not a “parallel structure to the state” but a platform to promote “responsible democratic opposition.”
According to him, the initiative is constitutionally backed and grounded in the rights of citizens to freely associate, express themselves, and hold the government accountable.
“This is not a rebellion,” Utomi declared. “It is not a claim to executive authority. It is not a parallel structure to the state.”
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The statement comes days after the coalition named sector-specific shadow ministers tasked with proposing policy alternatives, engaging citizens, and promoting public accountability—moves that have drawn praise from some quarters and condemnation from federal government.
Utomi, however, insists the move is born not out of political ambition but national urgency.
“We launched this initiative not out of bitterness, ambition, or theatrical impulse, but because our country is hurting,” he said. “Millions are hungry. Prices are rising. Businesses are closing. Security is deteriorating. And hope is thinning.”
According to Utomi, the Shadow Government aims to rekindle genuine public discourse in a country where opposition voices have been “silenced, fragmented, or too afraid to speak.” He described the platform as a “national conscience project” that goes beyond electoral politics.
“This is not a political party. It is not an electoral platform,” he clarified. “It is a national conscience project—a space for voices that refuse to be silent in the face of national decline.”
He also urged critics to offer constructive feedback rather than dismiss the initiative as mere spectacle.
“To label this a ‘drama’ is to miss the point: the real theatre is what millions of Nigerians are forced to perform each day just to survive,” Utomi said. “Our response is not performance—it is conscience.”
Addressing the concerns of government officials and security institutions, Utomi stressed that the coalition has no intention of undermining state authority.
“This initiative is not designed to undermine your authority. It is designed to awaken our shared responsibility,” he said. “We do not come with violence or confrontation. We come with ideas, dialogue, and discipline.”
He added that the “Shadow Ministers” will begin engaging across various sectors in the coming weeks, presenting alternative policies and listening to citizens.
“We ask you to walk with us. Not to follow blindly, but to think boldly. Not to join a movement, but to renew a national conversation.”
Utomi appealed to Nigerians to see the project as a courageous step toward national renewal.
“Let it be remembered that when silence became dangerous, some spoke,” he said. “Not to incite, but to inspire. Not to divide, but to reform. Not to shame, but to awaken.”
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Describing the initiative as an “act of duty,” Utomi pledged that the Shadow Government would continue to operate “lawfully, peacefully, and resolutely” as a vehicle for “civic renewal, democratic accountability, and policy innovation.”
“Because Nigeria must rise, not by decree, but by design. Not through coercion, but through courage. Not in shadows, but in truth.”
