The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described Pat Utomi,
professor of political economy, as an “intellectual drama king” following his
declaration of a “big tent coalition shadow government”.
Felix Morka, national publicity secretary of the APC, said
Utomi’s statement contradicts the rationale he gave for the latest in his long
list of “big bang” ideas that never materialised.
Utomi had claimed the shadow government was a response to
the “policy missteps” of the federal government, which he said had worsened
poverty and silenced dissenting views.
“The recent spate of defections to the All Progressives
Congress (APC) provides further evidence that all is not well with democracy in
Nigeria,” Utomi had said during the May 5 announcement.
But Morka said Utomi had always enjoyed the full liberty to
express his thoughts and form coalitions, regardless of their lack of realism
or traction.
“Utomi’s unilateral declaration of a ‘shadow government’, in
a presidential democracy, is, in and of itself, an exercise of democratic
freedom and free speech, in the extreme,” the statement reads.
Morka described as “reckless” and “irresponsible” Utomi’s
comparison of Nigeria’s current political climate to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi
Germany.
The APC spokesman said such comparisons were beneath Utomi’s
intellectual standing and revealed a descent into “sensational and virulent
discourse”.
He argued that President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s
tolerance of dissent is evident in the freedom Utomi has to make such
pronouncements without consequence.
Morka said Utomi’s string of failed political attempts —
from seeking the APC governorship ticket in Delta in 2019 to his involvement in
Peter Obi’s 2023 campaign — has taken a toll on his judgment.
He said Utomi was revising history by accusing the
government of weaponising the removal of petrol subsidy.
“Simply exploiting and dramatizing what are inevitable
initial difficulties associated with the policies Nigerians have had to endure
for sustainable growth and prosperity is not genius; it smacks of crass
political opportunism and desperation,” Morka said.
He added that it is not the duty of the ruling APC to
organise or educate opposition parties on how to manage their internal affairs.
He said opposition figures who claim to have superior
solutions for Nigeria’s challenges should first show capacity by managing their
parties effectively.
“The wave of defections into the APC… is a clear endorsement
of the visionary and inclusive leadership of President Bola Tinubu,” Morka
said.
He said those joining the APC have chosen “patriotism over
partisanship” and are ready to help reposition Nigeria under Tinubu’s
leadership.
On April 24, Utomi said he was working to mobilise 7.2
million Nigerians to converge on Abuja in protest against Nigeria’s political
elite.
Utomi said the protest, tagged “Freedom Converge”, is aimed
at reclaiming the country from “entrenched systems of state capture and
self-serving leadership”.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
