Shettima Didn’t Criticize Tinubu Over Fubara’s Suspension – Presidency

The presidency has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima was taking a subtle jab at President Bola Tinubu over the political crisis in Rivers State.

This clarification follows reports that linked Shettima’s comments at a book launch in Abuja to the recent suspension of Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Some media outlets suggested the vice president was indirectly criticizing Tinubu when he recounted how former President Goodluck Jonathan once tried to remove him as Borno State governor during the Boko Haram insurgency.

Shettima made the remarks on Thursday while speaking at the launch of “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the \$1.3 Billion Nigerian Oil Block”, a memoir by Mohammed Bello Adoke, the former attorney general.

During the event, Shettima praised Adoke’s service and recalled how, under Jonathan’s administration, discussions were held about forcing him out of office due to worsening security in Borno.

He credited then-Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, for standing his ground and reminding Jonathan that he didn’t have the constitutional power to remove an elected governor.

Reacting to the buzz, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima’s media aide, said in a statement on Friday that the vice president’s comments had nothing to do with the current situation in Rivers State.

He described the media interpretation as “a gross misrepresentation”, stressing that Shettima was simply sharing a past experience to highlight Adoke’s role in defending constitutional values during a difficult time.

“Some news outlets have irresponsibly twisted the vice-president’s account of how the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan floated the idea of removing him from office during the most intense and critical phase of insurgency in the North-East,” Nkwocha said.

“Such commentary amounts to a reckless endangerment of national cohesion and a deliberate misreading of the vice-president’s message. His remarks were purely historical references made to acknowledge the courage and professionalism of Mohammed Adoke.”

Nkwocha also emphasized that Tinubu hasn’t removed Governor Fubara from office, but only suspended him in line with the constitution to calm tensions in the state.

He said the move was legally sound and approved by the National Assembly, citing Section 305(2) of the 1999 Constitution.

“President Tinubu followed the constitutional process with honest precision. The president’s proclamation properly invoked Section 305(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly,” Nkwocha said.

He noted that it was “misleading” to interpret Shettima’s remarks as an indirect swipe at Tinubu’s use of emergency powers, especially as the vice-president was engaged in an “intellectual discourse on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution and the challenges of democratic governance”.

“Vice-President Shettima remains firmly aligned with the administration’s goals and has consistently demonstrated his commitment to national stability, constitutional order, and responsible leadership,” the statement added.

“Vice-President Shettima’s comments were made in good faith and should be appreciated in the proper historical context in which they were delivered. It is dangerous to politicise such statements, especially at a time when unity and clear-headedness are most needed.”

He said Shettima is fully aligned with the Tinubu administration and remains committed to preserving democratic values, national stability, and the rule of law.

KanyiDaily recalls that Senator Aliyu Wamakko, who represents Sokoto North in the Senate, recently dismissed reports suggesting he is eyeing the vice presidency in the 2027 elections.