The Presidency has debunked claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima drew comparisons between the actions of former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the removal or suspension of a state governor during their times, describing such narratives as deliberate misrepresentations aimed at stirring needless controversy.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency dismissed as false and mischievous the suggestion that Shettima had criticised President Tinubu’s recent intervention in the political crisis in Rivers State.
According to the statement, the Vice President’s remarks at the book launch of ‘OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block’ by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), were historical in context and focused on the importance of documenting public service stewardship — not an indictment or criticism of President Tinubu.
“Certain online news outlets and individuals have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda,” the statement read. “They have twisted his account of how the Jonathan administration once considered removing him from office as Governor of Borno State during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency.”
The Presidency emphasised that Shettima’s account was made in reference to events that occurred over a decade ago and were meant to highlight the professional conduct of Adoke as a public servant.
It said the attempt to link those remarks to the recent political developments in Rivers State—particularly the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency—was “a wilful misrepresentation or a deliberate neglect of constitutional context.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office,” the statement clarified. “The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal. This action, along with the declaration of a state of emergency, was taken in response to the grave political crisis in Rivers State at the time.”
The statement went further to describe the Rivers crisis as one that had “clearly met the constitutional threshold for extraordinary measures,” citing Section 305(3)(c) of the Constitution, which permits such action when there is “a breakdown of public order and public safety… to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security.”
“The President’s proclamation invoking Section 305(2) was ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly,” the Vice President’s spokesman said. “That action preserved democratic institutions, averted chaos, and brought stability to a state teetering on the edge.”
The Vice President, according to the statement, remains fully aligned with the President on all decisions taken to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy and ensure good governance.
It added that “to conflate a governor’s suspension with removal is misleading,” and urged media organisations to avoid sensational reporting that distorts facts and undermines public trust.
“Shettima spoke extemporaneously, paying tribute to the professionalism of public servants like Adoke and recalling past episodes from Nigeria’s evolving constitutional journey,” the statement added. “At no point did he draw a parallel or make a comparison between President Tinubu and former President Jonathan. Any such interpretation is a fabrication.”
The Presidency concluded by calling on journalists and political actors to uphold ethical standards, urging them to “desist from wrenching statements from context in order to fabricate nonexistent conflicts.”
Vice President Shettima, it noted, remained “in loyal concert with President Tinubu,” and committed to the administration’s broader agenda of national unity, constitutional order, and democratic resilience.
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