By Erewunmi Peace

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has openly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s controversial suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, declaring that the president has no constitutional authority to remove an elected governor.

Speaking at a high-profile book launch in Abuja on Wednesday, Shettima emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law and respecting the democratic process. His remarks come in the wake of Tinubu’s March 18 declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which included the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the dissolution of the State House of Assembly.

“No provision in our Constitution gives the president the power to suspend or remove an elected governor,” Shettima said firmly. “Our democracy must not be reduced to a tool of convenience. We are a nation of laws, not whims.”

President Tinubu had cited escalating political violence and governance breakdown in Rivers State as justification for the emergency declaration. He appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas as sole administrator, sparking widespread debate and legal challenges from various quarters, including opposition-led states.

Critics argue that the president’s move sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the autonomy of state governments. Legal analysts have also pointed out that only a state’s House of Assembly or a court of competent jurisdiction can lawfully remove a sitting governor.

The PDP-led states have since filed a suit at the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the president’s action, which they describe as “a direct assault on federalism and democracy.”

Shettima’s comments are the strongest indication yet of internal disagreement within the federal government over the constitutionality of the Rivers crisis.

As the nation watches closely, the fate of Governor Fubara and the legal limits of presidential power hang in the balance.