Renowned professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being afraid of public accountability, following the party’s criticism of his recently launched shadow cabinet.
Utomi, who recently unveiled his “Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government,” said the APC’s reaction reveals a deep fear of civic scrutiny. His response came after APC spokesperson, Felix Morka, dismissed the initiative and labelled Utomi an “intellectual drama king.”
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Utomi recalled his past relationship with Morka, stating:
“Many years ago, Felix Morka sat in the back of my car as we rushed to meetings. He once encouraged me to do exactly what I am doing today. Now I am a drama king? Many playwrights would like that title. I love it. But I won’t waste time responding to him.”
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Utomi expressed concern over what he described as panic from the ruling party in response to citizens engaging in political discourse and organizing alternative platforms. He argued that the intensity of the backlash from the APC shows the government has something to hide.
“I have never seen a democratic government panic so much just because citizens are coming together to question how they’re running things,” Utomi said. “Wow. There must be so much to hide. APC is afraid of scrutiny — how did we sink this low?”
He further emphasized that a more mature and confident government would see such civic initiatives as a healthy part of democracy, not a threat.
Earlier, on April 24, Utomi announced plans to mobilize 7.2 million Nigerians to gather in Abuja to protest against what he described as the failure and self-interest of Nigeria’s political elite.
His statement has since sparked debate online, with many questioning why a shadow government initiative would provoke such a defensive reaction if the ruling party had nothing to fear.
Utomi reaffirmed his commitment to holding those in power accountable, insisting that APC is afraid of scrutiny; this should not be the norm in a democracy.
