The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a fresh application at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to restrain Professor Pat Utomi from organising public events or making statements related to his proposed “shadow government.”
In the application submitted on Wednesday, 4th June 2025, through its counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, the DSS urged Justice James Omotosho to issue an interlocutory injunction preventing Utomi and his associates from conducting rallies, roadshows, media engagements, or any form of public mobilisation pending the determination of an earlier suit.
The security agency had previously initiated legal action against Utomi over his plan to establish a “shadow government,” which the DSS contends poses a threat to Nigeria’s constitutional order. The initial suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, is scheduled for hearing on 25th June.
According to the DSS, intelligence reports indicate that Utomi, currently abroad and expected to return on 6th June, intends to hold public events under the guise of free speech and association. The agency argues that such activities could incite unrest similar to the 2020 End SARS protests, potentially leading to a breakdown of law and order.
The DSS maintains that, as the body responsible for safeguarding Nigeria’s internal security, it must act to prevent actions that could undermine national unity and public safety.
In response to criticisms of the shadow government initiative, Utomi has clarified that the formation is not an attempt to usurp power or challenge the state’s authority.
In a statement titled “In Service of Country, In Obedience to Conscience,” he stated: “Let me state this plainly: The Shadow Government is not a rebellion. It is not a claim to executive authority. It is not a parallel structure to the state. Rather, it is a citizens’ platform for responsible democratic opposition—an initiative rooted firmly in the Nigerian Constitution.”
Utomi emphasised that the initiative aims to offer policy alternatives and promote accountability, especially in light of Nigeria’s current challenges, including rising poverty, business closures, and deteriorating security.
He noted: “We launched this initiative not out of bitterness, ambition, or theatrical impulse—but because our country is hurting. Millions are hungry. Prices are rising. Businesses are closing. Security is deteriorating. And hope is thinning.”
The Federal Government, however, has expressed strong opposition to the shadow government concept.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described it as an aberration, stating: “At a time when our nation is set to celebrate 26 unbroken years of presidential democracy, the idea of a so-called ‘shadow government’ is an aberration. Nigeria is not a parliamentary system where such a system is practised, and there is no provision for such in our statute books.”
The court is expected to consider the DSS’s application for an injunction in the coming days, ahead of the substantive hearing later this month.
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