VP Shettima’s book launch remarks not linked to Fubara’s suspension – Presidency

The Office of the Vice President has dismissed media reports suggesting that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent remarks at a book launch were a veiled criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the political crisis in Rivers State.

In a statement issued on Friday, July 11, 2025, by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), the Presidency described such reports as a “gross misrepresentation” and “deliberate distortion” of the Vice President’s comments.

The remarks in question were made during the public presentation of the book “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block” authored by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, on July 10.

Some online outlets and individuals had claimed that Shettima’s reference to the past attempt by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to remove him as Governor of Borno State was an indirect comparison to President Tinubu’s recent suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

However, the Vice President’s office strongly rejected this narrative.

“Certain online news outlets and individuals have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda,” the statement read. “The Vice President’s remarks were historical references to events during the Jonathan administration, intended as a discourse on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution and the management of federal-state relations.”

The Presidency stressed that Vice President Shettima’s speech was a tribute to Adoke’s professional conduct and public service record, and that no comparison was drawn between the North East insurgency crisis under Jonathan and the political impasse in Rivers State.

“For clarity, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office,” the statement noted. “The constitutional measure taken was a suspension, not a removal, and it was carried out within the law, in response to a grave political crisis.”

It further explained that the Rivers State crisis, involving violence, the demolition of the State House of Assembly, and threats of impeachment, met the constitutional conditions for federal intervention under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.

According to the statement, President Tinubu’s actions were fully endorsed by the National Assembly, reflecting bipartisan consensus on the necessity of federal intervention to restore peace and stability.

The Presidency also faulted attempts to conflate suspension with removal, describing such claims as “misleading.”

“Vice President Shettima, speaking extemporaneously, focused on the importance of accountability and the need for public officials to document their service,” the statement said, adding that Shettima’s references were merely historical reflections and not commentary on current political developments.

“The Vice President and the entire administration fully support the actions taken by President Tinubu to safeguard democracy and maintain constitutional order,” Nkwocha stated.

The Presidency called on the media and political actors to avoid “fabricating non-existent conflicts” and to uphold responsible journalism by reporting statements within their proper context.