The Labour Party (LP) has raised concerns over the manner the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, retracted his comments criticizing the removal of Rivers State Governor by the President.
It alleged that the Vice President may have be forced to review his comments on the matter.
Conveying this in a statement on Saturday,Special Adviser, Media, to the acting National Chairman of the party, Ken Asogwa, said the rapid retraction shows the poor human rights records of the government.
The statement said if someone of Shettima’s stature – armed with immunity from prosecution and other ancillary protections of his office cannot freely express a factual opinion without being coerced into a retraction, it reveals a damning reflection of the human rights climate under the current administration.
The statement added:“What is deeply troubling is the speed and intensity with which the Vice President has been compelled to walk back his words. The question must be asked: Who is intimidating the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”
“Indeed, it is no surprise that Nigeria continues to plunge to the bottom of human rights rankings across Africa,” it added.
Shettima, at a 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, Vice Preident 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 officeholder, including a sitting governor.
However, the Labour Party in the statement said it i 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 explained that the section confers no power whatsoever on the President to remove a sitting governor under any guise, including the declaration of emergency rule
“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.
It added:“We commend Vice President 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.
“We reiterate our appreciation to Vice President Shettima for speaking truth to power, even if momentarily. But we strongly urge those pulling strings behind the scenes to cease and desist from undermining the dignity of the office of the Vice President. It is not only disrespectful to the man, but also to the institution he represents and to the Constitution he swore to uphold.”
It cautioned the presidency against intimidating Shettima.
