Victor EzejaProfessor of Political Economy, and convener of the Big Tent, Pat Utomi, says the goal of the newly formed shadow cabinet is to challenge political office holders to be more accountable and govern well for the interest of the people.
Utomi stated this in his remarks during a meeting of the Big Tent Shadow Cabinet on Monday, 12 May 2025.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn his remarks titled “To Salvage a Dying Nation”, Utomi expressed concerns about how insecurity and poverty have ravaged Nigeria, but politicians remain insensitive to the plights of the people as they continue to swim in affluence.
He said this situation in the country spurred the Big Tent team to form a shadow cabinet to advance innovative strategies to make democracy work for the good of all in the country.
While welcoming members of the team at the meeting, Utomi noted that it is “a new beginning of concerned citizens, civil society and politicians acting in concert to make power accountable and fresh alternatives available for those who decide in the public interest.”
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The Founder of the Centres for Values in Leadership (CVL), seized the opportunity to address some controversies raised by the announcement of the shadow team recently.
Utomi said he has become used to narratives by the APC government, accusing him of crying wolf each time a voice calls for accountability in government.
He dismissed the claims that the shadow government was set out to mount insurrection and others bordering on the constitutionality of the group.
Reacting to assertions, that the idea of a shadow cabinet was derived from the Parliamentary system and shouldn’t have been in Nigeria which practices a Presidential system copied from the United States, Utomi made reference to an opinion piece in the Washington Post by a US congressman from North Carolina, who proposed a shadow government “to keep the Trump administration honest.”
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According to him, “The real bottom line is that systems must innovate when their reality is tending towards ineffectiveness. Legislators queuing to cross carpet to APC are not likely to hold the government accountable.
“Necessity has become the mother of invention and this shadow cabinet has come to challenge politicians to govern and not just politics from one election to the next while misery becomes the companion of ordinary Nigerians.”
He maintained that given the enormity of challenges in the country, there is need for seriousness on the part of political leaders not what is happening today.
The political economist highlighted the group’s road map in the days ahead and called on the shadow team members to act for the sake of posterity.
“We need to advance an order of meritocracy without losing sight of the justice of representative bureaucracy and affirmative action,” he stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
