Abuja, July 11, 2025 – The Office of the Vice President has strongly condemned what it described as the “gross misrepresentation” of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s remarks during a book launch held in Abuja on Thursday.
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In a statement released today by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), the Presidency dismissed media reports suggesting that Shettima’s comments at the launch of the book “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block” were aimed at drawing parallels between the Jonathan-era political crisis and the recent suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
According to the statement, Vice President Shettima’s remarks were strictly historical, reflecting on past constitutional challenges during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The Vice President, it stated, had referenced efforts made at the time to remove him as Governor of Borno State amid the height of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
“It is mischievous and false to suggest that the Vice President’s comments were aimed at the current administration or the situation in Rivers State,” the statement read. “His observations were part of an intellectual discourse on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution and the need for public officials to document their stewardship.”
The statement emphasised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office, but rather suspended him in line with constitutional provisions following the declaration of a state of emergency. The action, it said, was in response to what was described as a breakdown of law and order in the state, including politically motivated violence, legislative gridlock, and attacks on national institutions.
Quoting Section 305 of the Constitution, the Presidency stressed that President Tinubu’s intervention followed due process and received bipartisan support in the National Assembly.
“The situation in Rivers State reached a constitutional threshold necessitating urgent federal intervention. This is fundamentally different from the insurgency crisis that occurred in the North East under the Jonathan government,” the statement clarified.
It further warned media outlets and political actors against twisting official statements for sensational headlines or political mischief.
“Vice President Shettima remains fully committed to President Tinubu’s agenda to protect democracy and uphold the rule of law,” the statement said, urging responsible journalism and political maturity in handling national issues.
