The Presidency has said that there is no link between what Senator Vice President Kashim Shettima said in a book launch on Thursday in Abuja to the declaration of an emergency state in Rivers, since some online media have distorted the comments in the event.
The vice president's office said that he has pointed out with great concern the serious misrepresentation of the comments made by Shettima, during the public presentation of the book “OPL 245: the internal history of the oil block of $ 1.3 billion” by Mohammed Bello Adake (San), held at the Yar'adua Center, Aboja, on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
“Certain online communication and individuals have distorted the comments of the vice president in search of a mischievous agenda, twisting his account of how the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan considered to withdraw it from office, then as governor of Born, in the apogee of the insurgency in the northeast region.
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“This Sensational Reporting, which strips the vice president's remarks of their proper context, ventures into fiction by drawing fals President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ”The Statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant of the President of Media and Communications (spokesman for the vice president).
Nkwocha's statement is read in part: “We wish to categorically affirm that the comments of Vice President Shettima were made in the context of recognizing the author's professional behavior during his mandate as Attorney General of the Federation, a tribute to his public service record.
“His comments were historical references to events during the administration of Jonathan and were destined as a speech on the constitutional evolution of Nigeria.
“They served to highlight how complex federal tensions have been managed through legal mechanisms and the country's progress in that regard.
“To avoid doubts, President Tinubu did not withdraw Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not a direct elimination. This action, together with the declaration of an emergency state, was taken in response to the serious political crisis in the state of the rivers at that time.
“The situation had no precedents, with the complex of the State Assembly Chamber under demolition and the governor facing an imminent threat of political trial by harmed members of the Legislature. No objective observer can deny that this decisive intervention by the President brought stability and calm to the state of Rivers.
“This situation is not comparable to that of the Northeast under the Jonathan administration, where the violent non -state actors directly challenged the sovereignty of the Nigerian State, demanding a unified action of federal and state authorities to face terrorism.
“In contrast, President Tinubu acted strictly within the constitutional limits and in consultation with the relevant interested parties to preserve democratic institutions and restore the order in the state of Rivers.
“The laws of Nigeria provide a clear framework to address these matters. Section 305 (3) (c) of the Constitution authorizes extraordinary measures when there is” a breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part of it that requires extraordinary measures to restore peace and security. “
“The situation in the rivers was clearly found with this constitutional threshold, with persistent violence motivated politically, systematic attacks against federal institutions and almost complete governance paralysis, intolerable conditions in any democratic society. According to credible security reports, these acts even intensified in attacks against national assets.
“President Tinubu acted with constitutional fidelity. His proclamation invoked section 305 (2) was ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly, as required by section 305 (3).
“This consensus between crossed parties when suspending the government of the Rivers government, led by Sim Fubara, reflects a shared understanding between our elected representatives that the situation had reached a point of constitutional necessity, which requires an immediate federal intervention.
“Clearly, without chopping words, the action of President Tinubu to suspend Mr. Fubara and others by exercising the functions of the position avoided the direct elimination of the governor. To combine the suspension with the elimination is misleading. Therefore, the interpretation of the comments of Senator Shetma as a comment on the current events is a bad misunderstanding or a deliberate context of the senator.
“The vice president, who spoke extendedly, focused on the importance of public officials who document their administration and in the lasting principle of responsibility in the public service. Historical references were made to illustrate the stands of principles of principles, as well as their personal links with Mohammed Bello Adake and former speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
“His comments were not a criticism of President Tinubu's actions, which the vice president and the entire administration support and maintain without reservations.
“Vice President Shettima is in a loyal concert with President Tinubu in the implementation of these difficult but necessary actions to safeguard our democracy.
“We urge media organizations and political actors to give up the destructive practice of tearing context statements to manufacture non -existent conflicts,” he said.