Presidency Refutes Claims of Internal Rift, Clarifies Shettima’s Comments
The Presidency has dismissed recent media reports suggesting discord within the Federal Government, calling such claims a distortion of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s remarks at a public forum in Abuja.
In a statement released on Friday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), the Presidency emphasized that Shettima’s comments were historical reflections, not related to ongoing developments in Rivers State.
According to the statement, the Vice President, during the public presentation of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block by former Attorney General Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), recounted a moment from the Goodluck Jonathan administration. At the time, Shettima, then Governor of Borno State, faced discussions around his potential removal amid the Boko Haram insurgency.
Nkwocha explained that Shettima’s remarks were meant to acknowledge Adoke’s professionalism during that period and to illustrate the country’s democratic journey—not to comment on current events in Rivers State.
“It is regrettable that some media outlets have misrepresented these remarks, attempting to link them to the recent suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara,” the statement said. “Such a misinterpretation is both misleading and an effort to fuel unnecessary political tension.”
The Presidency further clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to suspend Governor Fubara and declare a state of emergency in Rivers State stemmed from serious concerns, including violence, property destruction, and political instability.
“Governor Fubara was not removed, but suspended in line with constitutional processes and following wide consultations,” the statement read. It pointed to Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which grants the President the authority to act when public safety is at risk.
The statement also noted that the National Assembly approved the emergency declaration with broad bipartisan support, signaling national consensus on the need to restore order in the state.
Drawing a distinction between the Rivers political crisis and the Boko Haram insurgency, the Presidency stated that while the latter was a security emergency involving armed non-state actors threatening national sovereignty, the situation in Rivers is a political breakdown within a state government.
“Equating these two scenarios is both constitutionally flawed and intellectually misleading,” the statement asserted.
Vice President Shettima, it concluded, remains fully committed to President Tinubu’s leadership and the defence of democratic governance across Nigeria.
“Shettima stands firmly with President Tinubu in upholding democratic principles. The media should avoid twisting historical commentary into fabricated narratives of division,” the statement urged.
