Vice-President Kashim Shettima has challenged opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi over their economic proposals, questioning whether their prescriptions adequately reflect Nigeria’s circumstances.
Shettima spoke on Wednesday at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, where he defended President Bola Tinubu’s reforms and urged the ruling party to make its case for re-election with facts and verifiable achievements.
He criticised Atiku’s advocacy of production subsidies, questioning how the proposed intervention would be funded and which other public spending priorities might suffer as a result.
“His proposal for production subsidies raises questions that ideological costume changes cannot answer. Who pays? Who benefits? And which competing priorities must surrender their funding?” Shettima said.
He also questioned Obi’s reliance on international economic comparisons, arguing that policies successful in other countries could not automatically be applied to Nigeria without considering differences in population, institutions and economic structures.
“What succeeds in Bangladesh cannot simply be transplanted to Nigeria without accounting for the differences in our populations, economic structures, institutions and national circumstances,” he said.
The Vice-President maintained that governing Nigeria required a sound understanding of its social, economic and political realities, rather than reliance on statistics detached from local conditions.
He also challenged claims about the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, insisting that assertions of electoral victory should be supported by evidence.
Shettima said the presidency demanded more than political ambition, describing it as the country’s highest constitutional office.
“The presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not an ordinary political prize. It is the highest expression of constitutional authority in our country,” he said.
He further questioned the ability of opposition politicians to manage Nigeria’s competing interests, arguing that reconciling political differences within a party was a test of readiness for national leadership.
“If reconciling a few party leaders eludes you, how will you reconcile the interests of over 200 million citizens?” he asked.
Turning to Tinubu’s record, Shettima defended the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange regime, describing them as difficult decisions taken in pursuit of longer-term economic stability.
He said the administration had faced global energy shocks, geopolitical uncertainty and fiscal pressures while implementing its reform programme.
Citing figures in his address, the Vice-President said the economy grew by 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, while gross external reserves exceeded $58bn.
He acknowledged that the government still had to translate the reported gains into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
“The next obligation is to turn these gains into jobs, affordable food, and dependable services. Nigerians deserve to feed the recovery they have financed through sacrifice,” he said.
Despite his criticisms of opposition figures, Shettima urged APC campaign officials to avoid personal attacks and focus on explaining the administration’s policies and achievements.
“We will give them facts. We will give them statistics,” he said, referring to the party’s response to opposition criticism.
He added that political opponents should be treated with respect, saying, “They are not our enemies; they are our brothers, they are our countrymen, they are our leaders.”
Shettima urged party members to work towards Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, arguing that a second term would allow the administration to consolidate its reforms and strengthen public institutions.
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