The State Security Services (SSS) has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain a former presidential candidate, Patrick Utomi, from holding any rally to propagate his so-called shadow government and shadow cabinet plans
Utomi, a professor of political economy has been a vocal critic of the Bola Tinubu administration and its policies particularly as it relates to the economy which he (Utomi) blames for the worsening poverty and rising cost of living.
He had proposed a shadow cabinet, to according to him, provide alternative choices and policy options.
But his agenda has been described as insurrectionist in nature, prompting the SSS to file a suit before the court.
The latest in the legal action is a motion for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Utomi, his agents and privies from staging road shows, public lectures and rallies, for the purpose of promoting the shadow cabinet
The SSS believes that Utomi’s agenda is a threat to national security and that as the agency statutorily mandated to detect, defend and prevent subversive threats capable of undermining constitutional order, it is duty bound to seek the order.
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The secret police in its request before the court submitted that Utomi has, during the pendency of the case, been issuing public statements on social media and other platforms to promote his plans, and that while he is currently out of the country, he intends to return to carry out road shows and rallies under the guise of freedom of speech and association.
Consequently, it asked for an interlocutory order of injunction against Utomi.
The application reads, “an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Defendant/Respondent, his Agents, Privies, Associates, Servants, Workers or any person acting through him from staging road shows, rallies, public lectures or any form of public gathering, newspaper publications, TV programs, jingles or any other public enlightenment programs) aimed at sensitizing, instigating, propagating or in any way promoting the purported “shadow government/shadow cabinet” or its objectives or goals with the view to establishing the said “shadow government” pending the hearing and determination of this substantive suit”.
The motion is currently before Justice James Omotosho and a date for hearing is yet to be assigned
(Editor: Utibe Umoren)
