Shettima made the statement on Thursday at a book launch in Abuja, seemingly distancing himself from President Bola Tinubu’s controversial removal of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara

By Titilope Adako

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has declared that no president has the constitutional authority to remove a democratically elected governor from office.

Shettima made the statement on Thursday at a book launch in Abuja, seemingly distancing himself from President Bola Tinubu’s controversial removal of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Recall that President Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, unilaterally removed Governor Fubara from office. The move, which was widely condemned, was later ratified by the National Assembly.

Speaking at the launch of a book authored by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, Shettima recalled his own experience as a former governor of Borno State during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

He said, “Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was floating the idea of removing this Borno governor (pointing at himself), and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, had the courage to tell the president: ‘You don’t have the power to remove an elected councillor.’”

He went on to commend Mr Adoke for standing firm against the attempt to remove northeastern governors in 2013 over the security crisis in the region.

“The president was still unconvinced. He mooted the idea at the Federal Executive Council, and Mr Mohammed Adoke told the president: ‘You do not have the power to remove a sitting governor,’” Shettima 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 colleague.’ That was how the matter was laid to rest.”

Shettima also used the occasion to express gratitude to Adoke, saying, “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 public enemy number one.”

Though the Vice-President did not directly reference Governor Fubara’s ousting, political observers believe his speech clearly conveyed his disapproval of the act.