Abuja, July 11, 2025 — Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan once attempted to remove him as Governor of Borno State during the final years of his administration.
Shettima disclosed in Abuja during the public presentation of a book titled “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigeria Oil Block”, authored by former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, SAN.
According to the Vice President, he was considered “public enemy number one” by the Jonathan administration amid mounting tensions in Borno, then the epicenter of Boko Haram insurgency.
“In one of such conclaves, former President Goodluck Jonathan — with whom we have now sheathed the sword — was muting the idea of removing this Borno governor,” Shettima revealed.
He credited then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, for standing firm against the move.
“Tambuwal had the courage to tell the President that, ‘Your Excellency, you don’t have the powers to remove an elected councillor,’” Shettima stated.
The plot, he said, was further discussed at a Federal Executive Council meeting, where Adoke and fellow legal luminary Kabiru Turaki upheld the same position.
“Mr. Adoke told the President bluntly: ‘You do not have the powers to remove a sitting governor, not even a councillor.’ Turaki concurred,” Shettima said, adding that the event laid the foundation for his lifelong respect for both men.
Praise for Adoke’s Integrity
Shettima went on to commend Mohammed Adoke for his “courage, conviction, and unwavering principles” during his time in public office. He lauded Adoke’s ability to rise above political pressure, as well as his decision to forgive those who wronged him.
“That was how my relationship with Adoke and Tambuwal became eternally sealed,” he said.
The OPL 245 Scandal in Focus
The event was held to mark the launch of “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigeria Oil Block,” a 26-chapter book chronicling the controversial 2011 transaction between Royal Dutch Shell, Italy’s Eni, and the Nigerian government for OPL 245—a lucrative offshore oil block estimated to contain over 9 billion barrels of crude oil.
The transaction, often referred to as the Malabu oil deal, has been at the center of international investigations and legal disputes for over a decade.
