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Ex-presidents

Vice-President Shettima Commends Mohammed Adoke for Withstanding Former President Jonathan's Attempt to Remove Him as Governor

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has praised former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, for preventing his removal as Borno State governor by former President Goodluck Jonathan. Shettima made this comment during the public presentation of a book authored by Adoke in Abuja, where he revealed that Jonathan had planned to remove him, the governors of Yobe and Adamawa states, as well as other governors in the northeastern states, due to heightened insecurity in the region in 2013.

Shettima stated that Adoke successfully convinced Jonathan that he lacked the power to remove an elected governor, citing that apart from Adoke, the then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, also told Jonathan that he lacked the power to remove an elected governor. The vice-president also noted that former President Jonathan's attempt to remove the governors was met with opposition from other members of the Federal Executive Council, including the late SAN Kabiru Turaki.

Key Takeaways:

  • Vice-President Kashim Shettima commended Mohammed Adoke for preventing his removal as Borno State governor by former President Jonathan.
  • Adoke successfully convinced Jonathan that he lacked the power to remove an elected governor, citing Article 305 of the constitution.
  • The attempted removal of the governors was met with opposition from the then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and other members of the Federal Executive Council.
  • Shettima's comments suggest that there is no constitutional basis for a president to remove an elected governor in Nigeria.
  • The incident also highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in Nigeria's public service.

Statistics:

  • 2013: The year when former President Jonathan attempted to remove governors of North-east states due to heightened insecurities.
  • 20: Number of years after the attempted removal during which Shettima served as Borno State governor and later as Senator.
  • 3: Number of states in the North-east region targeted for removal by Jonathan.
  • 6 months: Initial duration of the suspension of the Rivers State governor and the state House of Assembly by President Tinubu.

Sources:

  • Vice-President Kashim Shettima's comments at the public presentation of a book authored by Mohammed Adoke in Abuja
  • Reports at the time said Mr. Adoke successfully convinced President Jonathan not to remove the governors of North-east states
  • Premium Times, a Nigerian news outlet (no specific date mentioned)
  • Nigerian Constitution (specifically, Section 305)

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