Court ruling on shadow govt won’t stop me from expressing myself – Pat Utomi

Professor of governmental economy, Pat Utomi, has insisted that the caller national precocious tribunal ruling restraining him from forming a shadiness furniture volition not halt him from speaking retired oregon associating with chap citizens.

On Monday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the conception of a shadiness authorities is unconstitutional and alien to Nigeria’s statesmanlike system.

Reacting successful an interrogation connected Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, Utomi said his inaugural was not aimed astatine seeking law recognition.

“I anticipation the lawyers volition person thing to say. We were not looking to find a spot successful the constitution of Nigeria,” helium said.

“This is unprecedented. Whatever it is, we’re not looking for a spot successful the constitution,” helium added.

Asked if the judgement had ended his plans oregon forced him to see alternatives, Utomi maintained his civic rights stay intact.

“As a citizen, I bash expect that I volition proceed to beryllium capable to explicit myself. I besides person the state to conscionable with different citizens to jointly explicit ourselves,” helium said.

Utomi had archetypal announced the shadiness authorities program connected May 5 nether his Big Tent Coalition, describing it arsenic a credible absorption to the Bola Tinubu administration. He unveiled members of the furniture successful July, saying it would “provide argumentation alternatives to the national government.”

But the Department of State Services (DSS) challenged the inaugural successful court, filing suit FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, and informing it could trigger unrest akin to the #EndSARS protests.

The national authorities besides condemned the plan, with Mohammed Idris, curate of accusation and nationalist orientation, stressing that “Nigeria is not a parliamentary strategy wherever specified a strategy is practised, and determination is nary proviso for specified successful our statute books. While absorption authorities is simply a cardinal diagnostic of democracy, it indispensable beryllium practised astatine each times wrong the bounds of propriety.”

In his defence, Utomi argued that the DSS was seeking to “criminalise constitutionally protected rights” to escaped expression, association, and governmental participation.

However, Justice Omotosho held that Nigeria’s constitution makes nary proviso for immoderate “parallel oregon alternate government” extracurricular the 1 it establishes.

The station Court ruling connected shadiness govt won’t halt maine from expressing myself – Pat Utomi appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.