Court Rules Pat Utomi’s Proposed Shadow Government Illegal
The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the move by former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi, to form a shadow government in Nigeria as unlawful and unconstitutional.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho restrained Utomi and his associates from going ahead with the planned establishment of a shadow cabinet, describing the idea as alien to Nigeria’s presidential system of governance.
The ruling followed a suit filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), which argued that the initiative posed a threat to national security. Justice Omotosho upheld the DSS’s position, stating that while citizens have the right to freedom of association and to criticise government policies, such rights do not extend to actions deemed illegal or capable of undermining the country’s constitutional order.
The judge further commended the DSS for seeking legal action to forestall activities capable of jeopardising Nigeria’s internal security.
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