Book launch remarks: Attempt to intimidate Shettima, a disservice to Nigeria

The Labour Party has condemned attempts to intimidate Vice President Kashim Shettima into retracting the remarks he made during the public presentation of a book by former Justice Minister, Mohammed Adoke, SAN.

The opposition party described the alleged intimidation as a disservice to Nigeria.

Acting National Chairman of the LP, Nenadi Usman Usman, said this on Saturday in Abuja, stating that those pulling the strings behind the scene should be made aware of the fact that it was unethical to undermine the person and Office of the Vice President.

This was contained in a statement by Usman’s Senior Special Adviser (Media), Ken Asogwa.

“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.

“He recounted how, in 2013, during the declaration of a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States, both the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and Attorney General Adoke stood firm in advising President Goodluck Jonathan that he lacked the constitutional powers to remove any elected office holder, including a sitting governor.

“Vice President 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, rather clumsily, to distance his remarks from the current situation in Rivers State,” the statement said.

According to the statement, 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.

It added that the section confers no power whatsoever on the President to remove a sitting governor under any guise, including the declaration of emergency rule.

The Labour Party applauded Shettima for his “rare moment of honesty in drawing attention to what was clearly an unconstitutional act – the 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”.

Book launch remarks: Attempt to intimidate Shettima, a disservice to Nigeria – Labour Party