Garba Mohammed
Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Thursday tactically distanced himself from President Bola Tinubu’s controversial removal of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, marking a rare but calculated expression of unease with executive overreach.
Speaking during the launch of a book authored by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, Shettima offered a pointed anecdote from his time as Borno State governor—one that drew a sharp parallel to recent events. Without directly naming Fubara or Tinubu, he underscored the constitutional dangers of a president attempting to unseat a democratically elected governor.
Governor Fubara, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was removed from office on March 18, 2025, in a decision first reported by The Journal Nigeria. Though the National Assembly later ratified the move, multiple reports indicated that lawmakers received financial inducements to support the action. A retired military general has since been administering the state.
Shettima recounted a moment in 2013 when then-President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly floated the idea of removing him from office during the peak of Boko Haram’s insurgency in the North-East. According to Shettima, it was the intervention of the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and senior legal advisers, including Adoke, that stopped the unconstitutional plan.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was floating the idea of removing this Borno governor (pointing at himself), and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal… had the courage to tell the president: ‘You don’t have the power to remove an elected councillor,’” Shettima said.
He praised Adoke for standing firm in defense of the Constitution. “The president was still unconvinced. He mooted the idea at the Federal Executive Council. Mr Mohammed Adoke told the president: ‘You do not have the power to remove a sitting governor.’ They sought the opinion of another SAN in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki, who also said: ‘I am of the candid opinion of my senior colleagues.’ That was how the matter was laid to rest.”
Shettima continued, “In the last four years of the Jonathan government, I was the public enemy number one. I want to thank you for the courage to forgive those who have offended you.”
Although he never mentioned Fubara or Tinubu directly, the symbolism in Shettima’s remarks was unmistakable. Observers say his use of historical example, delivered in a prepared speech, was a deliberate critique of the president’s role in Fubara’s removal.
A spokesperson for President Tinubu declined to comment when contacted.
This address marks Shettima’s first public statement touching on the constitutional debate surrounding Fubara’s ouster. His carefully worded disapproval is expected to further stoke speculation about internal divisions at the highest level of government.
The remarks also come amid signs of rising tension between Tinubu and Shettima. Last month, a State House meeting reportedly ended in disarray when APC leaders endorsed Tinubu for a second term in 2027 without naming Shettima as his running mate—breaking from political convention and fueling rumours of a strained alliance.
Legal experts have consistently pointed out that the Nigerian Constitution does not empower the president to remove a sitting governor. Section 188 outlines a legislative and judicial process involving the state House of Assembly and a panel of inquiry, not federal executive fiat.
“Shettima’s remarks are constitutionally grounded and politically significant,” said Abuja-based legal analyst, Chika Nwosu. “He reminded the nation that democratic processes must not be bypassed for political convenience.”
Whether this subtle defiance will widen the rift between the president and his deputy remains to be seen. But Shettima’s intervention has added a new layer of complexity to the Fubara controversy—and signaled that not all within the administration are comfortable with the direction of executive power.