ABUJA — In what many political watchers are calling a subtle but stinging rebuke of President Bola Tinubu’s recent political moves, Vice President Kashim Shettima has publicly criticized the unconstitutional removal of elected leaders, strongly implying disapproval of the controversial ousting of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The Vice President made the bold remarks on Thursday during a high-level book launch in Abuja for “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigeria Oil Block,” authored by former Attorney-General Mohammed Bello Adoke. While Shettima never directly mentioned the Rivers governor or Tinubu by name, his historical anecdote and the pointed parallels drawn left little to the imagination.
Recalling his own tenure as governor of Borno State in 2013, Shettima told the audience how former President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly tried to remove him amid the raging Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast. According to him, the unconstitutional move was blocked by then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and legal resistance from Adoke and Kabiru Turaki, both ministers at the time.
“President Jonathan floated the idea of removing this Borno governor — me,” Shettima said. “But Aminu Tambuwal stood up and said: ‘Your Excellency, you do not have the power to remove an elected councillor, let alone a governor.’”
The Vice President continued, revealing how Adoke, then Attorney-General, also cautioned Jonathan against the illegal attempt during a Federal Executive Council meeting, stating clearly that such an act would violate constitutional boundaries.
“It was men like Adoke and Tambuwal who upheld the rule of law, even when it was politically inconvenient,” Shettima added, earning applause from many in the room.
His remarks were seen as a thinly veiled jab at the current administration, particularly the March 2025 saga where President Tinubu reportedly orchestrated the removal of Governor Fubara — a move critics say was pushed through under questionable constitutional grounds and allegedly backed by monetary inducements to federal lawmakers. Since then, a retired military general has assumed leadership in Rivers State, while Fubara has not returned to office.
Observers view Shettima’s speech as the strongest indication yet of a growing rift between him and President Tinubu. Tensions have reportedly been simmering for months, especially after APC leaders endorsed Tinubu for a second term without naming Shettima as a running mate, breaking political tradition and fueling speculation about internal discord.
Though the presidency has yet to respond to Shettima’s comments, political analysts suggest the Vice President’s calculated yet powerful remarks may mark a turning point in Nigeria’s unfolding political drama — one where constitutionalism, loyalty, and ambition are colliding at the very top.
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