Samuel Omang
The Presidency has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent remarks were a veiled criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In a statement on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, described the media interpretations of Shettima’s comments as a “gross misrepresentation” and a “reckless endangerment of national cohesion.”
Shettima had spoken on Thursday at the public presentation of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block, a book written by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
According to Nkwocha, the Vice President referenced a past episode during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, when there were reported moves to remove him as Governor of Borno State at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency. He clarified that Shettima’s remarks were strictly historical and intended to acknowledge Adoke’s professional conduct at the time.
“Some news outlets have irresponsibly twisted the Vice President’s account of how the Jonathan administration floated the idea of removing him from office,” Nkwocha said. “The sensational reporting disappointingly tried to draw a highly misleading comparison with the state of emergency declared in Rivers State and the subsequent suspension of Governor Fubara by President Tinubu.”
He stressed that Shettima’s comments were purely retrospective and aimed at illustrating how Nigeria’s constitutional democracy has evolved in managing federal-state tensions through lawful means.
The Journal Nigeria had earlier reported that some commentators interpreted Shettima’s account as a subtle dig at President Tinubu’s handling of the political crisis in Rivers State. However, Nkwocha said such claims were not only unfounded but also irresponsible.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office,” he said. “The constitutional action taken was a suspension, not outright removal. It was in response to grave circumstances at the time, including the demolition of the State House of Assembly complex and threats of impeachment.”
Nkwocha defended the legality of the president’s actions, stating that they were taken in accordance with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution and ratified by the National Assembly.
“President Tinubu followed the constitutional process with honest precision. The President’s proclamation properly invoked Section 305(2), which was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly,” he said.
The Presidency called on political actors and media outlets to desist from twisting Shettima’s remarks or insinuating division within the administration.
“Vice President Shettima stands shoulder to shoulder with President Tinubu in implementing these difficult but indispensable actions to safeguard our democracy,” Nkwocha concluded.