Mr President, You Do Not Have the Powers to Remove a Sitting Governor, Not Even a Councillor- VP Shettima

At the public book launch of “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigeria Oil Block” in Abuja, Vice‑President Kashim Shettima delivered a pointed message to President Bola Tinubu, asserting that constitutionally, the president lacks the power to remove an elected governor — or even a local councillor.

Shettima recounted that during his tenure as Governor of Borno State (2011–2019), former President Goodluck Jonathan considered removing him from office amid rising insecurity in the northeast. He declared:

“Aminu Tambuwal, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, had the courage to tell the President: ‘You don’t have the powers to remove an elected councillor.’

Despite Tambuwal’s intervention, Jonathan brought up the idea again in a Federal Executive Council meeting. This certainty of powerlessness, Shettima said, prompted Attorney‑General Mohammed Adoke (SAN) to directly confront the president

“Mr. President, you do not have the powers to remove a sitting governor, not even a councillor.”

Another Sanitarian in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki, confirmed Adoke's constitutional interpretation. With multiple legal voices united, the matter was abandoned, and Shettima's leadership in Borno continued uninterrupted.

Shettima described this episode as pivotal, stating it forged “eternally sealed” bonds with both Tambuwal and Adoke. He added that during the last four years of Jonathan’s administration, he was demonized and considered “public enemy number one.

Though Shettima did not explicitly mention current events, his remarks appeared to be a direct rebuke of President Tinubu’s March 2025 suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State lawmakers, and the state assembly — an action taken under Section 305 of the Constitution. Critics argue that section does not grant the president authority to suspend elected officials acting in their constitutional roles.

Shettima used the occasion to also call for greater transparency and accountability in governance, commending Adoke for both his principled stance and his capacity for forgiveness. He urged public officials to document their stewardship and remain mindful of the perpetual scrutiny that accompanies public service.