Shettima Hints at Disagreement with Tinubu Over Rivers Emergency Declaration

Vice President Kashim Shettima has suggested he was not in agreement with President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State earlier this year.

President Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, citing what he described as a deteriorating political crisis.

He accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of orchestrating the demolition of the State House of Assembly complex, and subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Dr Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly for six months.

In their place, Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) as Sole Administrator to manage the affairs of the state.

However, speaking on Thursday at the public presentation of Burden of Service: Reminiscences of Nigeria’s Former Attorney-General — a memoir by Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN — Shettima offered a veiled critique of the president’s approach to the Rivers crisis.

Recalling his own experience as governor of Borno State during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Shettima revealed that there had been a move by the presidency to remove him from office.

He said that the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, warned Jonathan against such unconstitutional action.

“In 2012, there was an attempt to remove me as Governor of Borno State,” Shettima stated during the event held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. “But the then Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, told President Jonathan clearly: ‘Your Excellency, you do not have the power to remove even a councillor, not to talk of a governor.’”

Shettima commended former Attorney-General Adoke for standing firm on the side of the law, revealing that Adoke had told Jonathan the same thing. “I admire Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke fundamentally for his courage, his conviction, and his capacity to stand for what he believes in,” he said. “He told the then President, ‘Mr President, you do not have the power to remove the Governor.’”

The vice president’s remarks come amid ongoing speculation about tensions within the presidency and a reported cooling of relations between Shettima and Tinubu. Sources within political circles have claimed that the president is considering a new running mate ahead of the 2027 general elections, though no official confirmation has been provided.

Observers have interpreted Shettima’s comments as a subtle rebuke of Tinubu’s handling of the Rivers situation, which many have criticised as an overreach of executive power.

While the presidency has yet to respond to Shettima’s remarks, the development adds another layer to the growing intrigue within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly as the political class begins to prepare for the 2027 polls.