By Editor
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has questioned the economic prescriptions of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general election, arguing that Nigeria requires policies tailored to its unique economic and population realities.
Shettima spoke on Wednesday at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, where he defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms and urged party members to counter opposition criticism with facts and evidence.
He argued that economic policies adopted by other countries could not be transferred directly to Nigeria without considering differences in population, economic structures, institutions and national circumstances.
Taking a swipe at Obi’s reliance on foreign economic comparisons, the Vice-President said Nigeria’s size and peculiarities required a different approach to economic management.
“A country of over 250 million people cannot be governed through borrowed statistics and economic prescriptions detached from its peculiarities,” he said.
Shettima said policies that worked in Bangladesh could not simply be transplanted to Nigeria without adapting them to the country’s circumstances.
He also criticised Obi’s claims about the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, saying the former Anambra State governor had not provided evidence to support his assertion.
“I respect Peter Obi. But he has gone beyond his mastery of philosophy to make an august claim about winning the 2023 presidential election without adducing a shred of evidence to buttress his assertion,” Shettima said.
He described Obi as “the master of bogus statistics and incoherent economic prescriptions.”
The Vice-President also took aim at Atiku, arguing that political ambition must be accompanied by character, discipline and an understanding of the responsibilities of public office.
Despite his criticism of the opposition figures, Shettima urged APC campaigners to maintain respect for their political opponents and avoid trading insults during the campaign.
“For the rest of the duration of this campaign, we’ll discuss ideas, we’ll discuss policies, but we’ll treat all our opponents with respect and dignity. They are not our enemies. They are our brothers. They are our countrymen. They are our leaders,” he said.
He urged party members to respond to criticisms with evidence and reason rather than sentiments or fabricated claims.
“We have the capacity to respond to all sorts of innuendos and outright lies that our political opponents are taking on. But we won’t fall into their traps. We’ll give them facts. We’ll give them statistics. We argue with reason, not with sentiments, not with exaggerated truth or fabricated lies,” he said.
Shettima also defended Tinubu’s economic policies, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and measures to address distortions in the foreign exchange market, describing them as difficult decisions aimed at resolving longstanding economic challenges.
He acknowledged, however, that the government had a responsibility to ensure that the gains from the reforms translated into jobs, improved earnings and better living conditions for Nigerians.
“The next obligation is to turn these gains into jobs, meaningful earnings and meaningful planning,” he said.
Citing economic growth of 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, the Vice-President argued that the administration was making progress but needed to ensure that improved economic indicators produced tangible benefits for households and businesses.
“We must protect the reforms, improve their execution, and carry their benefits from the treasury to the household,” he said.
Shettima maintained that Tinubu deserved a second term because the administration’s reform programme had gained momentum that Nigeria could not afford to lose.
“President Tinubu deserves a second term because the work has acquired momentum that Nigeria cannot afford to squander,” he said.
He charged members of the Presidential Campaign Council to take the administration’s policies and achievements to communities across the country, listen to voters and explain the government’s plans.
“Every committee of the Presidential Campaign Council must earn its place through hard work. Every community must hear our case,” he said.
The Vice-President added that the APC’s appeal to Nigerians in 2027 must be supported by evidence of competence and a credible plan for the country’s future.
