The Labour Party has strongly condemned what it describes as attempts to intimidate Vice President Kashim Shettima into retracting remarks he made during the public presentation of a book authored by former Justice Minister, Mohammed Adoke, SAN. The opposition party characterized these alleged intimidation efforts as a disservice to Nigeria.
Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, made this known on Saturday in Abuja, emphasizing that those orchestrating the pressure behind the scenes should recognize that undermining the person and Office of the Vice President is unethical. The statement was released by Ken Asogwa, Usman's Senior Special Adviser on Media.
"At the public presentation of the book 'OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block' authored by former Attorney General Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) in Abuja on Thursday, Vice President Kashim Shettima made a remark that was as honest as it was instructive," the statement read.
According to the Labour Party, Shettima had recounted how in 2013, during the declaration of a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States, both then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and Attorney General Adoke firmly advised President Goodluck Jonathan that he lacked constitutional powers to remove any elected office holder, including a sitting governor.
The party noted that Shettima's acknowledgment of that principled stance, particularly as it related to his own tenure as Governor of Borno State, was a "refreshing demonstration of candour" until a follow-up statement from his office attempted to distance his remarks from the current situation in Rivers State.
The Labour Party argued that it is disingenuous for the Vice President's handlers to pretend not to know that Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) – which governs the declaration of a state of emergency – has not changed since 2013. The party emphasized that this section confers no power whatsoever on the President to remove a sitting governor under any guise, including the declaration of emergency rule.
In its statement, the Labour Party commended Shettima for what it called a "rare moment of honesty" in drawing attention to what the party described as an unconstitutional act – the alleged illegal removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara earlier in March under the pretext of political chaos and breakdown of law and order by President Bola Tinubu.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions in Nigerian politics, particularly regarding constitutional interpretations and the limits of presidential powers during states of emergency.
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