The Presidency has refuted reports suggesting that Vice President Kashim Shettima indirectly criticised the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement released on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency described such claims as a “misrepresentation” of the Vice President’s remarks made during the launch of a book by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), held on Thursday at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
Titled “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block”, the event saw Shettima deliver a speech that, according to some online platforms, appeared to subtly criticise Tinubu’s handling of the political crisis in Rivers State.
But the Presidency insists this interpretation is false and misleading.
“The Office of the Vice President wishes to address and clarify recent misrepresentations regarding remarks made by His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima.
“Certain online platforms and individuals have distorted the Vice President’s comments, falsely linking his historical references about the Jonathan administration’s consideration of his removal as Governor of Borno State during the insurgency to the current political developments in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,” the statement read in part.
The Presidency maintained that the Vice President’s comments were taken out of context and that his reference to past events was purely to highlight Nigeria’s constitutional evolution and the professionalism of the book’s author during his time in public service.
Addressing the Rivers State issue directly, the statement said:
“To clarify, President Bola Ahmed 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.”
According to the statement, Tinubu’s intervention had the backing of a bipartisan majority in the National Assembly and was aimed at restoring peace and effective governance in the state.
It further explained the distinction between the Rivers crisis and the Boko Haram insurgency faced during the Jonathan era, noting that the latter involved violent threats to national sovereignty, whereas the former required constitutional intervention due to political instability.
“We emphasize that conflating suspension with removal is inaccurate and misleading,” the statement continued, adding that Shettima’s remarks were not directed at the Rivers crisis but were reflections on past governance challenges and legal frameworks.
The Vice President, it added, fully supports President Tinubu’s constitutional actions and urged political actors and media platforms to desist from twisting public comments to fuel conflict or mislead the public.
