A political row erupted on Friday between the Nigerian Presidency and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent remarks recalling a near-declaration of emergency rule in Borno State during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Speaking at the launch of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block, a memoir by former Attorney General of the Federation Mohammed Adoke, Shettima recounted how Jonathan had once considered removing him as governor of Borno State at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency—a move he claimed was halted by Adoke and then-Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.
While the Vice President’s comments were intended as a nod to Adoke’s constitutional fidelity, critics have drawn parallels with President Bola Tinubu’s controversial suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara earlier this year—a decision many consider unprecedented and unlawful.
In a statement on Friday, the Presidency dismissed any suggestion that Shettima was indirectly criticising the Tinubu administration, calling the interpretation “mischievous” and a “gross misrepresentation” of his words.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, said: “Certain online news outlets and individuals have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda… His remarks were historical references, not a commentary on the Rivers situation.”
Nkwocha insisted that Shettima’s speech was a tribute to Adoke’s public service and not a critique of Tinubu’s actions. He further argued that the circumstances in Borno during the Jonathan era were incomparable to those in Rivers State, where Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the Constitution to suspend the state government and install a sole administrator in March.
“President Tinubu acted strictly within constitutional limits and in consultation with relevant stakeholders to preserve democratic institutions and restore order in Rivers State,” the statement said.
However, the ADC sharply rejected the Presidency’s explanation, accusing Tinubu of constitutional overreach and authoritarianism. In a strongly worded statement, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, praised Shettima for speaking “the simple truth” and accused the current administration of manipulating the law for political gain.
“What made the removal of an elected governor wrong and unconstitutional under President Jonathan… is the same that makes it wrong and unconstitutional under President Tinubu in the case of Rivers State,” the statement read.
The ADC went further, arguing that Tinubu’s suspension of Governor Fubara — ratified by both chambers of the National Assembly — was a dangerous precedent that threatened Nigeria’s federal structure and democratic safeguards.
“Truth does not respect political correctness… Nigeria is not a monarchy. The powers of the President are not absolute. They are bounded by law, tempered by precedent, and subject to public accountability,” Abdullahi stated.
Recalling Shettima’s account, the ADC pointed out that even during the Borno crisis, key constitutional actors resisted the unlawful removal of an elected governor. “Tambuwal told President Jonathan he had no power to remove even an elected councillor. Adoke supported that view. That’s not just history—it’s precedent.”
The party concluded by urging President Tinubu to apologise for the “abuse of power and violation of constitutional order,” warning that the continued suspension of a sitting governor represents a fundamental threat to Nigeria’s democratic project.
The political crisis in Rivers State erupted earlier this year after a faction of the State Assembly moved to impeach Governor Fubara, sparking violent confrontations, the destruction of legislative buildings, and paralysis of governance. Tinubu’s decision to impose emergency rule and appoint retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ekwe Ibas as sole administrator marked a historic first in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
As the political temperature rises, the incident continues to stir fierce debate over executive power, the independence of states, and the future of Nigeria’s fragile constitutional democracy.
