Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that during the final years of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, he faced intense political persecution and public criticism.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the unveiling of OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3bn Nigeria Oil Block, a book authored by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, Shettima recounted how he became a primary target of political attacks.
“In the last four years of President Jonathan’s tenure, I was the most criticised and vilified political figure. I was seen as public enemy number one,” the former Borno State governor said.
He narrated how efforts were allegedly made at the highest levels of government to remove him from office. According to him, in a confidential meeting that included key national leaders, Jonathan had considered removing him as governor of Borno State.
However, Shettima said it was the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who pushed back against the idea, insisting that even a councillor could not be removed without due process.
He added that Jonathan raised the issue again at a Federal Executive Council meeting, but was advised against it by Adoke, who maintained that the constitution did not grant the president such powers.
“Adoke told the president clearly that he had no legal right to remove an elected governor, and Kabiru Turaki, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria in the cabinet, backed that position,” Shettima recalled.
He credited both men for standing firm on constitutional principles and said their actions created a lifelong bond between them.
Shettima also commended Adoke for his capacity to forgive and move forward, despite the controversies and challenges he faced while in public office.