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ABUJA – Amid growing defection from one party to another by politicians, the Convener of the Shadow Government, Professor Pat Utomi, has said the situation shows lack of understanding of the reasons behind elections.
Professor Utomi who spoke on Wednesday at a news conference in Abuja said the situation tells of institutional failure and democratic decay.
He also explained that the Shadow Government aims at enhancing governance through ideological clarity and expertise.
The Shadow Government had upon formation received an immediate backlash from the federal government with the Department of State Services urging the court to declare it an attack on the constitution and thus illegal.
The matter is yet to be decided by the court.
Citing ongoing talks on coalition by some political interest, the revered academic urged those involved to focus on providing good governance, as he frowned at interests channeled more towards electoral victories.
Utomi reiterated that the coalition should not be seen as merely an electoral vehicle but rather as a value-driven platform with a clear ideological orientation.
“Our prayer is that they remember it should not just be about winning elections . . . They should work on how to govern, because that’s the major problem we have in Nigeria.”
He added that the country’s democratic space has become “theatre-like”, where political players are cheered on while the country suffers.
“We wake up one day and the only news that seems to matter is who has defected,” he lamented . . . It means those people, from the onset, did not understand why they were elected.
“Our democracy has suffered very, very badly. We have become part of the theatre, and we’re cheering as the country is dying,” he bemoaned.
Professor Utomi who criticised the distortion of legislative responsibilities, particularly the focus on constituency projects, said this undermines the principle of checks and balances.
He further noted that the shadow government comprises individuals from opposition parties who are assigned to monitor specific government departments and policy areas.
Continuing , he explained that in 2008 under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua he had proposed a similar idea.
“He didn’t find it alarming. He thought it was part of the evolution of democracy. The only problem was that he wanted me to join his cabinet.
And I said, “I have just created another one.”
Also speaking, Nana Sani Kazaure, the shadow minister for communication and public orientation, called for a shift in public discourse.
She urged Nigerians to prioritise national unity and development over ethnic, religious, or partisan divisions.
She praised Professor Utomi for assembling the shadow cabinet, describing the initiative as “timely” and necessary for Nigeria’s democratic healing.
