VP Shettima slams Tinubu for removing Gov Fubara illegally

Austin Okoro DDM NEWS

Shettima, Fubara and Tinubu

Vice President Kashim Shettima has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, stating that the president has no constitutional power to remove an elected governor.

Shettima made this known at the book launch of former Attorney General Bello Adoke in Abuja, drawing from his experience as a governor to highlight the perils of extra-constitutional maneuvers.

The vice president’s comments suggest a growing rift between him and President Tinubu, with Shettima seemingly distancing himself from the president’s actions.

He referenced a past incident where former President Goodluck Jonathan considered removing a governor, and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, advised against it, citing the president’s lack of power to remove an elected councillor, let alone a governor.

Shettima’s decision to speak out on this matter may further fuel tensions between him and President Tinubu, especially given the sensitive nature of Fubara’s removal.

The governor was removed on March 18, 2025, in a unilateral decision by the president, which was later ratified by the National Assembly. Fubara has since been out of office, with a retired military general acting in his stead.

This development comes amid reports of friction between Shettima and Tinubu, with some sources suggesting that Shettima feels marginalized and that Tinubu’s son has taken over some of his official duties.

However, the government has denied claims that Shettima was ever denied access to the president.

Mr Shettima also commended Mr Adoke for using his role as the attorney-general at the time to thwart Mr Jonathan’s attempt to remove governors of northeastern states over insecurity 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,” the vice-president 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.

Mr Shettima did not directly address Mr Fubara’s removal, but the tone of his prepared speech underscored his anger about the general issue of presidential interference in state affairs.

A presidential spokesman did not immediately return a request seeking comment about Mr Shettima’s statement about Mr Tinubu.

Mr Shettima has largely avoided airing his opinion on the legality of Mr Fubara’s removal since it was announced, and his decision to use his first public statement to condemn the action could further fuel crisis between him and the president.

Last month, a meeting at the State House ended in chaos after ruling party leaders loyal to Mr Tinubu endorsed him for a second time in 2027 without immediately endorsing Mr Shettima as his running mate, a development that political analysts said broke from tradition.