The Presidency has denied reports that Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, criticised President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Reporters had reported that while speaking at a book launch for former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, the Vice President made a speech to have indirectly faulted President Tinubu’s action.
A statement from the Office of the Vice President, signed by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Mr Stanley Nkwocha on Friday read: “The Office of the Vice President wishes to address and clarify recent misrepresentations regarding remarks made by His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, during the public presentation of the book ‘OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block’ by Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, on Thursday, July 10, 2025.”
The statement said the Vice President’s comment was taken out of context by some individuals and platforms.
“Certain online platforms and individuals have distorted the Vice President’s comments, falsely linking his historical references about the Jonathan administration’s consideration of his removal as Governor of Borno State during the insurgency, to the current political developments in Rivers State.”
“This misrepresentation is misleading and ignores the clear constitutional and contextual differences between the two situations,” it added.
Nkwocha explained that Shettima’s reference was only to commend Adoke’s professional conduct while in office.
“Vice President Shettima’s remarks were made in the context of recognising the professional conduct of the book’s author during his tenure as Attorney General of the Federation.”
“His references to past events were intended to highlight Nigeria’s constitutional evolution and the legal frameworks used to manage complex federal-state relations, not to comment on ongoing political matters,” the statement said.
On the Rivers crisis, the Presidency stated: “To clarify, President Bola Tinubu did not remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office.
“Rather, in response to a grave political crisis—including the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly and threats of impeachment — the President constitutionally suspended Governor Fubara under Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution.”
“This decisive action, supported by a bipartisan majority in the National Assembly, was necessary to restore peace, stability, and effective governance in Rivers State.”
It further stressed: “The crisis in Rivers State is fundamentally different from the insurgency challenges faced in the North East under the Jonathan administration.
“While the latter involved violent non-state actors threatening national sovereignty, the former was a political and security crisis requiring constitutional intervention to uphold democratic institutions.”
Nkwocha added: “We emphasise that conflating suspension with removal is inaccurate and misleading. Vice President Shettima’s comments were not directed at current events but were historical reflections underscoring accountability and principled public service, alongside his personal connections to the author and other public figures.”
The statement urged media and political actors to refrain from “distorting statements to create false narratives or conflicts.”
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