The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has slammed the Presidency’s clarification on Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments regarding the President’s constitutional powers.
The party describes the statement as “a mere attempt at political correctness.”
This position was stated in a statement issued on Friday by Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary and Spokesperson.
According to the statement, the issues raised by Shettima were constitutionally accurate.
“The truth must not be lost in the fog of political correctness. The Vice President needs to stand by his forthright and courageous statement, which affirms that the President has no constitutional power to remove an elected councillor, not to talk of a sitting Governor.”
“In declaring a state of emergency in the affected states under these dire circumstances, President Jonathan recognised the limits of his constitutional powers and he respected it,” the ADC stated.
“This is not just history. It is precedent,” the party declared.
The ADC urged President Tinubu to restore democratic rule in Rivers State and stop all actions that contradict constitutional provisions.
Earlier, Vice President Shettima denied attacking President Bola Tinubu over the removal of Siminalayi Fubara as Rivers State governor.
In a statement issued Friday by Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Shettima claimed that his comments during the public presentation of the book “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block”, written by former Attorney General Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), were misrepresented.
The Vice President was said to have made historical references regarding attempts by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to remove him as Borno State Governor during the peak of insurgency in the North East—remarks that some reports claimed were indirect criticisms of Tinubu’s handling of the crisis in Rivers State.
“The sensational reporting disappointingly tried to erect a highly mendacious argument about the state of emergency declared in Rivers State and the subsequent suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara,” the statement said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional action taken was suspension, and not outright removal,” it added.
According to the statement, Tinubu’s intervention in Rivers was necessitated by a breakdown of order, including the demolition of the House of Assembly complex and threats of impeachment against Governor Fubara.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that Shettima revealed how former President Goodluck Jonathan once tried to illegally remove him as Governor of Borno State while in office, but was stopped by top legal advisers who told Jonathan bluntly that he lacked the constitutional authority to sack a democratically elected state governor.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was floating the idea of removing this Borno governor,” Shettima said, pointing to 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.’”
According to the Vice President, Jonathan was still adamant and pushed the idea to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), but was again blocked.
“The president was still unconvinced, he mooted the idea at the Federal Executive Council,” Shettima continued.
“Mr Mohammed Adoke told the president: ‘You do not have the power to remove a sitting governor.’
They sought the opinion of another SAN in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki, who also said:‘I am of the candid opinion of my senior colleagues.’ That was how the matter was laid to rest.”
Meanwhile, in March, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Tinubu made the proclamation during a nationwide broadcast.
He also suspended the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly for six months.
