PAT Utomi, a professor of political economics and founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership, has said that the concept of a shadow cabinet in Nigeria was not new, revealing that he created one as far back as 2008 and even discussed it with then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Utomi had recently announced the Shadow Cabinet, a platform to promote “responsible democratic opposition,” a move that has generated negative reaction from the government, prompting the Department of State Security (DSS) to sue him.
Speaking during a virtual event organised by the University of Lagos Mass Communication Class of 1988 on Saturday, Utomi dismissed claims that the formation of a shadow cabinet by opposition figures was a novel idea, arguing instead that it reflects how little attention Nigerians have paid to deepening democratic accountability over the years.
“People think the idea of a shadow cabinet is new. It is not at all. It shows that we have been asleep at the wheel,” Utomi said.
According to him, the idea of a shadow government, where opposition figures or civil society actors simulate governance by developing alternative policies and critique existing ones, was his way of promoting good governance outside the formal structures of power.
Delivering the lecture titled ‘Shadow Government: A Distraction or a Necessity?’ Utomi recounted a 2008 meeting with the late Yar’Adua, where he declined an offer to join the federal cabinet, citing his commitment to an already formed shadow cabinet.
“I told President Yar’Adua I had created a group of friends I call a shadow cabinet to provide alternatives to the government in terms of ideas and policies. It would not look nice if I abandoned it,” he said.
He explained that his shadow cabinet convened regularly to deliberate on national policy issues, with ideas often funneled into public discourse. Over the years, the cabinet had been reconstituted several times, with some of its members later serving in various official capacities, including state and federal government roles.
The professor, who is currently in the United States, also shared how the concept of shadow governance had shaped his vision for building ideological political parties in Nigeria, lamenting that what emerged instead was “machine politics” without vision or ideological direction.
Recalling a lecture he delivered in 2012 at the Ladi Kwali Hall in Abuja on the role of political parties, Utomi said, “I talked about my disappointment that Nigeria did not have real political parties, just machines built to win elections.”
He noted that the lecture sparked conversations that eventually led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), although he expressed disappointment that the party lost sight of its founding ideals.
“I was involved with Yemi Osinbajo and Wale Edun in drafting a roadmap for the APC. We met every other evening in my house. But it became about people who wanted power, not ideas or ideology,” he said.
Utomi also revealed that his reluctance to accept government appointments was rooted in his belief that true change must come from systems, not just individuals in power. Citing African political history, he said many activists lose their voice and become irrelevant after joining government, a fate he was determined to avoid.
While reflecting on the potential of the Yar’Adua administration before the late president’s illness and eventual death, Utomi described him as one of Nigeria’s most thoughtful leaders.
“President Yar’Adua listened to me speak for two hours straight. He didn’t blink. He was ready to act. If he had lived, Nigeria may have taken a different path,” he said.