A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the plan by former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi, to establish a “shadow government” in Nigeria as illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the idea of a shadow cabinet was “alien to the nation’s presidential system of government” and could not be justified under Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
The ruling followed a suit filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), challenging Utomi’s proposed initiative. The court subsequently issued an order restraining Utomi and his associates from going ahead with the plan.
Justice Omotosho held that while citizens have the right to freedom of association and to criticise government actions, such rights do not extend to engaging in what the court described as “unlawful activities.”
Commending the DSS for initiating the suit, the judge affirmed that it was within the agency’s mandate to take proactive measures against acts capable of undermining internal security.