Vice-President Kashim Shettima has spoken out against President Bola Tinubu’s removal of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, saying the president has no constitutional power to sack an elected governor.
Shettima made the comments on Thursday during the launch of a book by former Attorney-General Mohammed Bello Adoke in Abuja. Although he did not mention Fubara by name, Shettima’s message was clear and pointed at the controversial action taken earlier this year.
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu removed Governor Fubara, a member of the opposition, in a decision first reported by Peoples Gazette. The National Assembly later approved the move, but reports said lawmakers were bribed to support it. Since then, a retired general has been acting as governor of Rivers State.
Speaking from his experience as a former governor of Borno State, Shettima warned against unlawful actions by the president.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was floating the idea of removing this Borno governor. 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” Shettima said, referring to himself.
He praised former Attorney-General Adoke for standing up to Jonathan at that time.
“The president was still unconvinced, he mooted the idea at the Federal Executive Council. Mr Mohammed Adoke told the president: You do not have the power to remove a sitting governor,” Shettima recalled.
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He added that even another senior lawyer in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki, supported Adoke’s position.
“That was how the matter was laid to rest,” Shettima said.
Although Shettima did not mention Tinubu directly, the timing and tone of his speech made it clear that he disapproved of the president’s action in the Rivers State matter.
Political observers say this is Shettima’s first strong public reaction since Fubara was removed. His remarks may increase the tension between him and President Tinubu, especially after last month’s incident at the State House. At that meeting, leaders of the ruling party endorsed Tinubu for a second term in 2027 but did not endorse Shettima as his running mate — a break from political tradition.
The presidency has not responded to Shettima’s statement.