Vice-President Kashim Shettima has described the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, as a “master of bogus statistics”, criticising his use of international comparisons to assess Nigeria’s economic challenges.
Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said Nigeria’s population, economic structure and institutional realities made it difficult to apply policies from other countries without considering the country’s unique circumstances.
Describing Obi as “my very good friend”, the vice-president criticised his comparisons between Nigeria and countries such as Bangladesh.
“He seems convinced that a size 36 shirt tailored for Bangladesh will somehow fit Nigeria’s size 52 frame,” Shettima said.
He argued that governance required an understanding of a country’s social, economic, political and institutional conditions rather than the adoption of foreign models without proper consideration.
“What succeeds in Bangladesh cannot simply be transplanted to Nigeria without accounting for the differences in our population, economic structures, institutions and national circumstances,” he said.
Shettima added that a country with more than 250 million people could not be governed effectively through statistics and economic prescriptions borrowed from other countries without adapting them to local realities.
He also described what he called “delusion of grandeur” in the political debate, arguing that some proposals presented as solutions for the future were rooted in outdated political thinking.
Shettima Urges Respect for Political Opponents
Despite his criticism of Obi, Shettima urged APC campaigners to treat political opponents with respect throughout the campaign.
He said political disagreements should focus on policies, ideas and evidence rather than personal attacks.
“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.
The vice-president also warned APC supporters against responding to every criticism or provocation from opposition politicians.
He said the ruling party should rely on facts, statistics and reason when defending the administration’s policies and record.
“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,” he added.
Shettima’s remarks come as political parties prepare to intensify their campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, with economic management, government reforms and competing policy proposals expected to feature prominently in the contest.
