The Presidency has reacted to
Vice President Kassim Shettima”s remarks at the former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) book launch in Abuja, on Thursday.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Presidency debunked claims that the VP drew comparisons between the actions of former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the removal or suspension of a state governor, at the event, describing such narratives as deliberate misrepresentations aimed at stirring needless controversy.
The statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, also dismissed as false and mischievous the suggestion that Shettima had criticised President Tinubu’s recent intervention in the political crisis in Rivers State.
According to the statement, the comments were historical in context and focused on the importance of documenting public service stewardship — not an indictment or criticism of President Tinubu.
It stated that there was no Link Between VP Shettima’s remarks at the book launch and certain online reports.
The statement read, “The Office of the Vice President has noted with serious concern the gross misrepresentation of 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), held at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
“Certain online news outlets and individuals have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda, twisting his account of how the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan considered removing him from office—then as Governor of Borno State—at the height of the insurgency in the North East region.
“This sensational reporting, which strips the Vice President’s remarks of their proper context, ventures into fiction by drawing false equivalence between his personal experience and the state of emergency declared in Rivers State, as well as the subsequent suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Shettima’s account was made in reference to events that occurred over a decade ago and were meant to highlight the professional conduct of Adoke as a public servant.
“The attempt to link those remarks to the recent political developments in Rivers State—particularly the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency—was “a wilful misrepresentation or a deliberate neglect of constitutional context.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal. 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 Rivers crisis is one that had “clearly met the constitutional threshold for extraordinary measures, Section 305(3)(c) of the Constitution, permits such action when there is “a breakdown of public order and public safety… to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security.
“The President’s proclamation invoking Section 305(2) was ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly.
“That action preserved democratic institutions, averted chaos, and brought stability to a state teetering on the edge.
“The Vice President remains fully aligned with the President on all decisions taken to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy and ensure good governance.
“To conflate a governor’s suspension with removal is misleading.
“Media organisations should avoid sensational reporting that distorts facts and undermines public trust.
“Journalists and political actors should uphold ethical standards and desist from wrenching statements from context in order to fabricate nonexistent conflicts.
“At no point did he draw a parallel or make a comparison between President Tinubu and former President Jonathan.
” Any such interpretation is a fabrication.
“Vice President Shettima is committed to the administration’s broader agenda of national unity, constitutional order, and democratic resilience”, the statement read.
