The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a lawsuit against Professor Pat Utomi, accusing him of attempting to establish what he termed “a shadow government” in Nigeria.
Filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the suit seeks a judicial declaration that Utomi’s alleged initiative amounts to a direct assault on the Nigerian Constitution.
Professor Utomi, a former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2007 elections, is named as the sole defendant in the case.
According to court documents submitted on May 13 by Akinlolu Kehinde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the DSS claims Utomi’s move is aimed at creating national instability and undermining the existing democratic structure.
The agency described the shadow government initiative as both unconstitutional and dangerous, arguing that it poses a serious threat to the legitimacy of the sitting administration.
The case is yet to be assigned to a judge for hearing.
What you should know
Professor Pat Utomi is a well-known political economist and public commentator.
His proposal for a “shadow government” has drawn strong backlash from the DSS, which views it as a destabilizing threat to Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
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