An author and strong supporter of the Bola Tinubu administration, Reno Omokri, yesterday argued that the idea of a ‘shadow government’ was alien to the presidential system of government.
Arguing that shadow government is a treason, Omokri stated that shadow governments are only allowed in parliamentary democracies, where the roles of head of state and head of government are separated.
“You do not form a shadow government in a presidential system of government because a presidential system is a republican democracy, meaning that the president is both head of state and head of government.
“Forming a shadow government under a presidential system of government is treason. You cannot try it in the United States. And by Section 1 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:
“The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”
“Shadow governments are allowed in a parliamentary system because Westminster forms of government do not have separation of powers, unlike presidential systems of government, and the executive and legislature are fused. So, to provide checks and balances, a shadow government is provided for in the constitutions of parliamentary democracies,“ Omokri emphasised.
A Nigerian political economist and former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, recently initiated the ‘Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government,’ aiming to provide alternative policy perspectives and constructive critiques of the current administration’s governance.
Launched on May 5, 2025, the initiative, he said, comprises members from various opposition parties and seeks to address perceived gaps left by a passive opposition.
However, the Department of State Services (DSS) filed a lawsuit against Utomi on May 13, 2025, arguing that the formation of a shadow government is unconstitutional and poses a threat to national stability.
But Omokri stated that to form and participate in a shadow government, one must first be an elected Member of Parliament and a member of the party that came second during the general election.
Even in England, he pointed out that a party that came in third or lower cannot form a shadow government, positing that if they do, it will be considered treason to the state.
“I deeply admire Professor Pat Utomi. I sent this message to him privately before releasing it publicly as a mark of my sincere respect for him.
“I, therefore, urge Professor Pat Utomi, my friend and a great democrat, to consider the facts I have stated above and, after verifying them to be true, reconsider his actions and bring them in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
“In addition to sending him the statement before going to press, I had a lengthy conversation with Dr Utomi, who assured me as a gentleman that he would not go ahead with the idea of a shadow government but would change the concept and bring it more in line with the Nigerian Constitution.
“But whatever decision he makes, Dr. Pat Utomi will continue to be a highly respected person to me and my family,” he Omokri added.
