DSS Threat Doesn’t Scare Me – Pat Utomi
Former presidential candidate and convener of the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, Professor Pat Utomi, has said he is not afraid of the threat posed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the formation of his shadow government initiative.
Utomi stated that he has not received any formal notice from the DSS regarding the alleged suit. “There is nothing to respond to. I’ve not received anything from them,” he said.
Dismissing fears over potential persecution, Utomi said he remains resolute in his efforts to hold the government accountable. “Why would I be threatened? If we die, we die,” he added.
The Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have argued that Utomi’s shadow government lacks constitutional backing. However, Utomi insisted that the initiative does not violate any laws. “They should revisit the 1999 Constitution. There is freedom of association. Citizens have the right to gather and discuss better governance,” he said.
Utomi also pointed out that the current ruling party once threatened to form a parallel government during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. “We are not forming a parallel government. We are forming a citizens’ platform to provide oversight and alternative policy ideas. The political party system is collapsing, and we are stepping up,” he explained.
