Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan once considered removing him from office while he was serving as the Governor of Borno State.

Shettima made this disclosure on Thursday during the public presentation of a book titled “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigeria Oil Block” written by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, Shettima reflected on the challenges he faced during Jonathan's administration, describing himself as the most vilified public figure at the time.

“For the last four years of Jonathan’s presidency, I was the most demonized individual — public enemy number one,” he said.

He recalled a private high-level meeting involving key government leaders during which Jonathan allegedly raised the idea of removing him as governor.

“In one of those exclusive gatherings attended by the President, Vice President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House, former President Jonathan — with whom I have since reconciled — suggested the removal of the Borno governor,” Shettima recounted.

He praised former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, for boldly opposing the idea.

“Tambuwal courageously told him, ‘Your Excellency, you do not have the constitutional authority to remove even an elected councillor.’ Yet, the President persisted and raised the matter again at a Federal Executive Council meeting,” he said.

According to Shettima, it was Adoke who firmly advised against the move, stressing its unconstitutionality.

“Adoke stood his ground and told the President, ‘You have no power to remove a sitting governor, not even a councillor.’ Another SAN in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki, backed Adoke’s legal opinion, effectively ending the discussion.”

Shettima expressed deep appreciation to both Adoke and Tambuwal for standing up for the rule of law, saying their actions cemented lifelong respect and loyalty from him.

He also commended Adoke for his courage in forgiving those who wronged him during his public service.

The event also highlighted Adoke’s new book, which focuses on the controversial OPL 245 (Malabu oil deal), a 2011 agreement in which Royal Dutch Shell and Italy’s Eni paid $1.3 billion for a deepwater oil block believed to contain around nine billion barrels of crude oil.