Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has made a bold constitutional declaration that is opposing the President’s verdict.
At a public event in Abuja, the nation’s number two citizen stated clearly that no Nigerian president, past or present, has the legal authority to remove an elected state governor.
Although Shettima didn’t mention President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directly, the political context and timing of his statement point squarely to the ongoing power struggle in Rivers State, where there have been widespread speculations that federal forces are supporting attempts to oust Governor Siminalayi Fubara following his fallout with his political godfather, Nyesom Wike — the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and President Tinubu suspending the Governor until further notice.
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Shettima recounted a striking moment from the Goodluck Jonathan administration, drawing on history to support his claim. According to him, there was a time during Jonathan’s presidency when a small inner caucus of powerful political figures — including the president, vice president, senate president, and speaker of the House of Representatives — attempted to remove a sitting governor through executive fiat.
“In one of such meetings, there was a push for the removal of a governor. But the then Speaker of the House of Representatives had the courage to look President Jonathan in the eye and say: ‘Your Excellency, you do not have the power to remove a sitting governor, not even a local government chairman,” Shettima narrated to loud applause from the audience.
He said that it was that moment of truth and constitutional fidelity that put an end to the plan. But it also marked the beginning of hostility between him and Jonathan’s presidency.
“That singular intervention settled the matter, but it was also the beginning of my personal troubles with the system,” Shettima revealed.
Since late 2023, Rivers State has been gripped by political tension following the dramatic collapse of the relationship between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Wike. The crisis has seen members of the State Assembly impeached, a parallel assembly formed, and multiple interventions by the presidency, all of which have further raised suspicions of federal interference.
Beyond the Rivers State crisis, Shettima used the opportunity to criticize a long-standing tradition in Nigeria’s public sector — the code of silence among public servants who retire without telling their stories.
“Our public service is a territory governed by silence. There is silence to preserve relationships. Silence to protect secrets too delicate to disclose. And silence because some memories are too painful to relive,” he said.
He called on Nigerian leaders, past and present, to begin documenting their experiences, not for praise, but for posterity.
“We owe it to ourselves and to the nation. Our stories are not ours alone. They belong to history. We must tell them — not because they end the conversation, but because they start it.”
The event was the public presentation of a new book by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, titled ‘OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block.’ The book details Adoke’s role in one of Nigeria’s most controversial oil deals — one that attracted global attention and legal action in multiple jurisdictions.
Shettima praised Adoke for his courage, saying:
“He was blooded, but unbowed. And that is a sentiment familiar to anyone who has ever wielded power in this country.”
He further noted that those who have served in government often carry burdens that never make it into official reports. Yet it is their stories – including their mistakes — that form the foundations of a nation’s memory and institutional learning.
“Life itself is a litigation with no end. There is no final adjournment in the pursuit of justice. We are all on trial — not just for what we did, but for what we dare to remember, what we dare to reveal, and what we dare to pass on,” Shettima said in an emotional close.
He added that accountability in public service must go beyond courtrooms and audits.
“Public service is ultimately a liability in the court of public opinion,” he stated.
In a time when Nigerians are demanding transparency, justice, and stronger democratic institutions, Shettima’s speech comes as both a reminder and a challenge. His words are expected to reignite debates across political lines, especially among those watching the unfolding drama in Rivers State.
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The Vice President concluded by commending Adoke for sharing his story with Nigerians, and urged others to do the same.
“Thank you for telling your side of the story. May our nation continue to prosper. May we remain united in the cause of this great country,” he said.
