A former presidential spokesman and political analyst, Mr. Laolu Akande, on Friday, advised the Department of State Services to focus on more important national security issues rather than going after people expressing harmless political opinions.
Akande, who dismissed the fears raised by the DSS over Prof Pat Utomi’s proposed shadow government, said the politician’s expression of his political thought was harmless, and not posing any threat to national security, as being bandied by the secret police agency.
Akande spoke on Friday during an interview programme on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
The former presidential spokesman, in his reaction to reports that the DSS viewed Utomi’s ‘shadow government’ idea as unlawful, urged security operatives to focus on more pressing issues.
“I would advise the DSS people not to bother themselves too much. There are more important things for the DSS to deal with. Please, let’s do that. Just leave Utomi alone, he’s just having fun,” Akande said.
Recall that Utomi recently announced plans to create a shadow government to provide alternative policy ideas and challenge the current administration intellectually.
But DSS, in its reaction, warned that his move was illegal and subsequently instituted a lawsuit against him.
Akande, however, argued that the ‘shadow government’ concept was not aimed at subverting the current administration, but only to stimulate political engagement and offer ideological alternatives.
“Whether it’s against the law—I wouldn’t be able to say that. I’ll let the lawyers do that determination. But I think it’s an expression of an idea,” he said.
The former presidential spokesman lamented the existence of a “serious vacuum” in Nigeria’s political space, lambasting the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party for their failure to put the ruling All Progressives Congress on their toes.
“The credit we can’t deny Professor Pat Utomi is that he understands there’s a serious vacuum, even in terms of contesting ideas with the current administration. The opposition—whether it’s PDP or LP—has completely lost that footing,” he said.
Akande added that Utomi’s plan was not to take over government, but to fill an existing leadership vacuum with some constructive input.
“He says it’s not to bring down any government, it’s just to provide ideas, specific ideas and alternatives. It seems to be somebody who understands that we have to contest ideas—even with a ruling party, which is not existing,” he stated.
But the former presidential spokesman, while acknowledging the good intentions behind Utomi’s ‘shadow government’, expressed doubt about its viability and sustainability.
“I don’t see it as a very viable thing that is going to happen. I think Utomi is just trying to say, ‘Look, this space is empty—we can’t leave this in a vacuum.’ That’s what I see,” Akande stated.
