Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned media organisations against distorting his statements to create non-existent conflicts with President Bola Tinubu, following controversy over his remarks at a book launch in Abuja.
The Presidency clarified that Shettima’s comments were historical references about constitutional evolution and accountability in public service, not criticism of President Tinubu’s actions in Rivers State.
The Vice President’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, stressed that the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara was constitutional, not an outright removal.
The statement defended President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing constitutional provisions for extraordinary measures when public order breaks down.
“Certain online news outlets and individuals have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda, twisting his account of how the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan considered removing him from office—then as governor of Borno—at the height of the insurgency in the North East.
“This sensational reporting, which strips the Vice President’s remarks of their proper context, ventures into fiction by drawing false equivalence between his personal experience and the state of emergency declared in Rivers State, as well as the subsequent suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Nkwocha’s statement said.
The statement reads in part: “We wish to state categorically that Vice President Shettima’s comments were made within the context of acknowledging the author’s professional conduct during his tenure as Attorney General of the Federation—a tribute to his public service record.
However, the African Democratic Congress has dismissed the clarification as “political correctness.”
Party spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi insisted Shettima’s original comments about presidential powers were constitutionally accurate and necessary.
The ADC compared the Rivers situation unfavorably to former President Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram crisis, arguing that Jonathan respected constitutional limits despite facing greater security challenges.
The party demanded President Tinubu restore democratic governance in Rivers State and apologise for what it termed constitutional violations.
“The ADC will continue to stand with the Nigerian people in defence of democracy, justice, and constitutionalism,” the statement added.