UTOMI FIRES BACK AT APC AFTER BEING MOCKED FOR SHADOW CABINET LAUNCH
Political economist and democracy advocate Professor Pat Utomi has blasted the APC’s leadership for ridiculing his recent unveiling of a shadow cabinet, accusing the party of fearing public accountability. The shadow cabinet, launched under the Big Tent Coalition, was designed as a civic platform to monitor government performance and offer alternative policy direction.
However, APC spokesman Felix Morka dismissed the initiative and referred to Utomi as an “intellectual drama king”—a remark Utomi responded to with irony and disdain. “Years ago, Felix rode in my car and urged me to do exactly what I’m doing today,” Utomi said. “Now, because it makes them uncomfortable, I’m suddenly a drama king?”
Utomi insisted that the APC’s hostile reaction to civic oversight reflects deep insecurity within the ruling establishment. “A confident government would see this as an opportunity to broaden discourse, not shut it down,” he said. He also took aim at what he called the erosion of democratic values under the current administration, suggesting that fear of transparency has become a defining trait of leadership in Nigeria.
