Vice President’s office refutes claims of comparison between Shettima and Governor Fubara situation.
Statement says remarks were historical, not linked to current Rivers State political tensions.
The Office of the Vice President has dismissed reports misrepresenting Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent remarks at a public event, describing them as deliberate distortions of his comments.
Shettima had spoken during the launch of “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block”, a book authored by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), held at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
According to a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), some media platforms and individuals have twisted the Vice President’s words to fit “a mischievous agenda.” The reports, he said, falsely suggest Shettima compared his past experience with that of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Nkwocha stressed that the Vice President’s remarks referred to an incident during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, when talks reportedly emerged about removing him then Governor of Borno State at the peak of the North-East insurgency.
He clarified that Shettima’s reference was purely historical and aimed at recognizing Adoke’s professionalism while in public office. “The VP’s remarks were historical references to events during the Jonathan administration and were intended as a discourse on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution,” Nkwocha said.
He also emphasized that the Vice President was highlighting how past tensions between federal and state governments have been managed through legal and constitutional means, showcasing the country’s democratic progress.
“For the avoidance of doubt,” Nkwocha added, “President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal.”
The presidency criticized what it described as “sensational reporting” that ignored the broader context of Shettima’s remarks and warned against misleading the public with false narratives.
