Serious diagreement erupted Thursday in Abuja between President Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Sen. Kashim Shettima, as the latter tactfully disagree with his principal for removing the Governor of Rivers State, Similayi Fubara.
Fubara was on March 18th, 2025, suspended from office by President Bola Tinubu over the political crisis involving the Governor, current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nysom Wike and some members of the State House of Assembly.
Fubara has been out of office ever since, with retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, appointed the Sole Administrator.
Shettima, had during a book launch in Abuja on Thursday afternoon, argued that there was no constitutional basis for a president to remove an elected governor in Nigeria, drawing from his experience when he was a governor to tackle the perils of such extra-constitutional decision.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was floating the idea of removing this Borno governor (pointing at himself), and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, had the courage to tell the president: You don’t have the power to remove an elected councillor,” Shettima said at the book launch of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Bello Adoke, SAN.
He also commended Adoke for using his role as the AGF at the time, to stop former President Jonathan’s attempt to remove governors of northeastern states over insecurity in the zone in 2013.
“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,” Shettima said.
“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.
“I want to thank you for the courage to forgive those who have offended you. In the last four years of the Jonathan government, I was the public enemy number one,” he added.
Although Shettima did not directly address the issue of Fubara’s removal, but the tone of his speech underscored his disagreement on the general issue of presidential interference in state affairs.
It should be recalled that the Vice-President has avoided expressing his opinion on the legality of Fubara’s removal, but his decision to use his first public statement akin to the matter and regarding his personal experience to condemn the action, is likely to heighten the looming crisis between him and the president.
