Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, revealed on Friday that a group of Nigerians are rallying support by mobilising 500 lawyers to defend him against the Department of State Services (DSS).

Utomi made this known in a post shared on X.

“It’s energising (that) some want to put together 500 lawyers to defend me against the DSS,” he said.

The DSS had sued Utomi over his alleged plan to establish what he calls “a shadow government” in the country.

According to the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the DSS urged the court to declare the action a violation of the Constitution.

The professor of Political Economy and 2007 African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Pat Utomi, was named as the sole defendant.

Filed on May 13 by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Akinlolu Kehinde, the suit alleges that Utomi’s move aims to incite chaos and destabilise the nation.

The DSS argued that the proposed shadow government was not just an anomaly but also represented a serious violation of the Constitution and posed a threat to the democratically elected government in power.

However, Utomi expressed his gratitude for the widespread solidarity he has received from all corners of the country.

“I am heartened by messages of solidarity from across Nigeria on this shadowy business of chasing shadows of shadow cabinets.

“They remind me of the Nigeria I used to know. I want to thank all.”

The announcement of the planned shadow cabinet sparked varied reactions from Nigerians, including former presidential candidate and activist Omoyele Sowore. He dismissed it as a largely symbolic move that lacks any tangible impact on Nigeria’s urgent issues.

In an interview on Channels TV’s Inside Sources on Sunday, Sowore argued that establishing a shadow cabinet is pointless in a country where the current government is itself opaque and largely unaccountable.

He said, “Well, how do you replace a shadow government with another set of shadowy governments? I would not begrudge anybody who thinks of solutions that can bring awareness to the people.

“But I do not think that setting up a government with names of people who call themselves a shadow government makes any difference.”