The presidency has said that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s comment at a book launch was not about the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
During the launch of ‘OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block,’ a book by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, Shettima had said the former was among those who prevented ex-President Goodluck Jonathan from removing as a governor in Borno State at the height of the insurgency.
According to Shettima, no president can remove an elected official.
The above statement was linked to President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of Fubara. In his response, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, said it was misinterpreted.
“We wish to state categorically that Vice President Shettima’s comments were made within the context of acknowledging the author’s professional conduct during his tenure as Attorney General of the Federation—a tribute to his public service record.
“His remarks were historical references to events during the Jonathan administration and were intended as a discourse on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution.
“They served to highlight how complex federal-state tensions have been managed through legal mechanisms and the country’s progress in that regard.
“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 situation was unprecedented, with the State House of Assembly complex under demolition and the Governor facing a looming threat of impeachment by aggrieved members of the legislature.
“No objective observer can deny that this decisive intervention by the President brought stability and calm to Rivers State.”
Credit: The Sun