President Has No Power To Remove A Democratically Elected Governor – Shettima
Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Thursday said there is no legal basis for a President to remove a democratically elected governor.
Shettima with his stands, appeared to distance himself from President Bola Tinubu’s controversial removal of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that Tinubu on March 18, 2025, removed Fubara from office in a unilateral decision. The National Assembly later ratified the highly controversial move.
Speaking at a book launch in Abuja on Thursday afternoon, suggested there was no constitutional basis for a president to remove an elected governor in Nigeria, drawing from his experience when he was a governor to slam the perils of such extra-constitutional manoeuvres.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was floating the idea of removing this Borno governor (pointing at 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,” Shettima said at the book launch of former attorney-general Bello Adoke.
Shettima also commended Mr Adoke for using his role as the attorney-general at the time to thwart Mr Jonathan’s attempt to remove governors of northeastern states over insecurity in 2013.
“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,” the vice-president said.
“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.”
“I want to thank you for the courage to forgive those who have offended you. In the last four years of the Jonathan government, I was the public enemy number one,” he added.
Although Shettima did not directly address Fubara’s removal, however, political observers said the tone of his prepared speech underscored his perception on the issue.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
