A group under the aegis of The Nigerian Project ( TNP), Rivers State Chapter, has hailed Vice President Kassim Shettima for accepting that his boss, President Bola Tinubu goofed on the emergency rule imposed in Rivers state.
The group praised the Vice President in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Hon. D. H Eluke, on Friday.
The statement read, “In what many may consider as daring and unthinkable, the vice president has broken the jinx by accepting that his boss , President Bola Ahmed Tinubu acted in contravention of the extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In a viral video trending on social media, the vice president recounted how he narrowly escaped the Sim Fubara treatment during the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan who sought advice from Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (then ,Speaker HoR) and Mr. M. Adoke ,AGF for constitutional interpretations.
” According to Shettima, these men of valour were courageous enough to inform Jonathan that he had no such powers to remove an elected councillor, not even an elected governor. What has happened today? What has changed suddenly?
“Barely four months ago, the AGF , Mr. Fagbemi in collusion with the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Obong Godswill Obot Akpabio counselled and supported an illegal and unconstitutional proclamation of emergency rule in Rivers State. This illegal action birthed an imposition of a sole administrator who has ruined all the fortunes and progress recorded by suspended governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
“Most Nigerians thought the national assembly would have acted to save our democracy just as Ken Nnamani ( on tenure elongation) and SP David Mark ( on the doctrine of necessity). But ,NO! Akpabio chose to facilitate the conquering of Rivers State by an overambitious president who prefers that everyone could die while he secures his failed reelection bid.
“Rivers State and indeed , Nigeria’s democracy has remained in a serious persecution under the watchful eyes of PBAT or Emilokan Presidency. Countless number of deaths recorded by the evil activities of criminal gangs , unholy alliances between cabinet members and the judiciary which has strangulated the hope of the common man, hyper- inflation and high cost of living, extravagance life style of the corrupt political elite and so many other oddities have endangered this hard earned democracy. Worse still, Nigeria was at a verge of becoming a one party state before the surprise by coalition forces to salvage this country. If not for the masterstroke, we would have lost it all .
“As a patriot of Rivers State and a lover of democracy, I commend VP Shettima for rising up to speak truth to power undermining whose ox is gored . He has distinguished himself as a true man of honour and courage. It is my expectations that public officials emulate VP Shettima in this stead. This goes to expose more , the constitutional breaches perpetrated by the Presidency. It is an impeachable offense but unfortunately, however, SP Akpabio is just a lackey of PBAT . This 10th national assembly is reputed infamously as the weakest and the most anti- people legislature whose role is to chant : ” Bola ,on your mandate …we shall stand ”
It would be recalled that Vice President Kashim Shettima had on Thursday at a book launch by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, in Abuja, stated that it was unconstitutional for any President to remove a sitting Governor from office.
The comment comes amid the controversy over the suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, by President Bola Tinubu.
