The Presidency has refuted claims suggesting that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments were connected to the political crisis in Rivers State, describing such reports as grossly misleading and deliberately distorted by certain online platforms.
In a statement issued on Friday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), the Presidency expressed concern over the misinterpretation of Shettima’s remarks made during the launch of the book “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block” authored by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), held on July 10 at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
According to the statement, some individuals and media outlets twisted the Vice President’s reference to past events during his time as Governor of Borno State under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration where he faced potential removal amid the insurgency in the North-East suggesting a link to the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Nkwocha clarified that Shettima’s remarks were a historical reflection, meant to underscore the evolution of Nigeria’s constitutional and federal dynamics, and not a veiled criticism of the current administration’s decisions. He stated clearly that the Vice President’s comments were in tribute to Adoke’s record of public service, and not a commentary on ongoing political developments.
He stressed that the suspension of Governor Fubara by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was constitutionally guided and necessary, taken in response to a severe breakdown of public order and governance in Rivers State, including the near-demolition of the State Assembly complex and threats of impeachment against the governor.
The Presidency further defended the decision to suspend Fubara, invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows for extraordinary measures to be taken in situations where public order has broken down. The intervention, according to the statement, was endorsed by a bipartisan majority in the National Assembly.
Highlighting the difference between past and present events, the statement noted that while Shettima’s reference to his own experience under the Jonathan administration involved combating violent insurgency threatening national sovereignty, the Rivers crisis was a case of internal political conflict requiring constitutional enforcement.
The Presidency emphasised that President Tinubu acted within the law and in consultation with stakeholders, and that Shettima’s remarks were in full alignment with the administration’s position. The statement condemned attempts to misrepresent the Vice President’s speech as divisive or oppositional, warning against the politicisation of statements taken out of context.
Reaffirming Shettima’s loyalty, Nkwocha noted that the Vice President stands firmly with President Tinubu in supporting actions taken to preserve Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The statement concluded by urging media outlets and political actors to act responsibly and avoid manipulating public commentary for partisan narratives.
