The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, has cleared the air over recent remarks made by Vice President Kashim Shettima, saying there is no disagreement between him and President Bola Tinubu.
Nkwocha made this clarification on Thursday, July 11, following public reactions to a speech Shettima gave at a book launch in Abuja on Wednesday, July 10. In the speech, Shettima recalled how, during his time as Governor of Borno State, former President Goodluck Jonathan tried to remove him from office, but was stopped by some political figures who said such a move was unconstitutional.
Some people thought Shettima was indirectly criticizing President Tinubu, especially in light of the ongoing political issues in Rivers State, where Governor Sim Fubara is facing challenges and there have been talks of an emergency rule.
However, during a press briefing in Abuja, Nkwocha said the public misunderstood the Vice President’s message. He described the reactions as a “gross misrepresentation.”
According to Nkwocha, the Vice President made it clear that the situations in question were not the same. “What occured in his time was removal. There was an attempt to remove him from office by the then-President Goodluck Jonathan. But what we have is a suspension of Governor Fubara Sim in Rivers State. Suspension is different from the attempted removal of the then-Governor Kashim Shettima,” Nkwocha quoted the Vice President as saying.
He further stated, “The Vice President remains with the President and would continue to support his government.”
Nkwocha ended by firmly stating, “The Vice President is in support of President Tinubu. He has never gone against him.”