Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
Vice President Kashim Shettima has thrown subtle but unmistakable jabs at his principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the recent controversial suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking at the public presentation of a new book authored by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, Shettima emphasized that it is unconstitutional for any president to remove a sitting governor, describing attempts to do so as executive overreach.
The book, titled “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigerian Oil Block”, was unveiled on Thursday in Abuja, drawing prominent figures from across Nigeria’s political and legal landscape.
Reflecting on his own political experience as Borno State Governor during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, Shettima revealed that he once faced a similar threat of removal in 2013, when the then-president allegedly attempted to oust governors of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states amid Boko Haram insurgency.
“It was Aminu Tambuwal, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, who had the courage to tell the president: ‘You don’t have the power to remove an elected councillor,’” Shettima recounted. “The president was still not convinced and mooted the idea at the Federal Executive Council meeting. But Mohammed Adoke stood firm and told him: ‘You do not have the power to remove a sitting governor.’”
According to Shettima, Adoke’s stance, backed by another Senior Advocate of Nigeria in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki, ultimately halted the plan and saved the embattled governors from illegal removal.
Shettima’s statements come on the heels of growing controversy surrounding President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, during which he announced the suspension of Governor Sim Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all elected lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months, replacing them with a sole administrator.
Although the presidency has defended the move as necessary to restore order amid political crisis in the state, legal experts and opposition figures have continued to argue it is an abuse of executive power and a direct assault on democratic institutions.
While Shettima stopped short of directly condemning Tinubu’s action, his veiled criticism has ignited fresh debate within political and legal circles.
Analysts suggest the vice president’s comments may signal growing unease within the ruling party over recent executive decisions. His praise for Adoke and Tambuwal, both of whom served under the opposition-led government, adds further intrigue to the evolving political dynamic.
“The constitution is clear,” said a constitutional lawyer, Barr. Chinedu Anya. “No president, past or present, has the legal authority to unilaterally suspend or remove a governor. If Shettima is reminding Nigerians of that fact, then he is right to do so.”