Vice-President Kashim Shettima has criticised Peter Obi’s economic prescriptions, arguing that Nigeria’s population, economic structure and institutional realities make it inappropriate to adopt policies or draw direct comparisons from countries such as Bangladesh without considering their differences.
Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he also accused the former Anambra State governor of relying on what he described as misleading statistics and inconsistent economic proposals.
The Vice-President argued that economic policies must reflect a country’s peculiar circumstances, insisting that strategies that work in one nation cannot automatically produce the same results in another.
“Governance is an art that demands mastery of context, whether social, economic, political or institutional,” Shettima said.
He added, “What succeeds in Bangladesh cannot simply be transplanted to Nigeria without accounting for the differences in our population, economic structures, institutions and national circumstances.”
Shettima, who described Obi as “my very good friend,” mocked his frequent references to Bangladesh when discussing Nigeria’s economic challenges.
“He seems convinced that a size 36 shirt tailored for Bangladesh will somehow fit Nigeria’s size 52 frame,” the Vice-President said.
He maintained that Nigeria’s population of more than 250 million presented challenges that required policies tailored to its specific economic and institutional conditions.
“A country of over 250 million people cannot be governed through borrowed statistics and economic prescriptions detached from its peculiarities,” he said.
Obi has repeatedly criticised the Federal Government’s economic management, arguing that Nigeria’s major challenge is the mismanagement of public resources rather than borrowing itself.
In February, the former Labour Party presidential candidate maintained that the country could achieve better economic outcomes through prudent management of available funds.
Shettima’s remarks therefore bring renewed attention to the disagreement over Nigeria’s economic direction, particularly the role of borrowing, public expenditure and the suitability of economic models adopted by other countries.
The Vice-President also questioned Obi’s claim that he won the 2023 presidential election, accusing him of making what he described as a bogus assertion without supporting evidence.
“This is called delusion of grandeur. Our contest is with the politics of yesterday dressed as tomorrow’s deliverance,” Shettima said.
Obi contested the 2023 presidential election as the Labour Party candidate and finished third behind President Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
He subsequently challenged Tinubu’s victory in court, but the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal and affirmed the president’s election in October 2023.
Obi is preparing to contest the presidency again in the January 16, 2027 election under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
Shettima’s comments came as the APC inaugurated its presidential campaign council to coordinate Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the polls.
The ruling party is scheduled to begin its presidential campaign in Kaduna on October 24.
