Vice President Kashim Shettima has criticised former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi over his economic proposals, accusing the opposition politician of relying on statistics and policy ideas that fail to reflect Nigeria’s realities.
Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.
While describing Obi as a “very good friend”, the vice president questioned his approach to economic comparisons, particularly his references to countries such as Bangladesh when discussing Nigeria’s development challenges.
According to Shettima, policies that work in one country cannot automatically produce the same results in another without taking differences in population, economic structure and institutions into account.
He described Obi as “the master of bogus statistics and incoherent economic prescriptions”, arguing that the former governor appeared overly reliant on foreign economic models.
The vice president used a clothing-size analogy to illustrate his objection to comparing Nigeria’s economic circumstances with those of smaller countries without considering their differences.
“He seems convinced that a size 36 shirt tailored for Bangladesh will somehow fit Nigeria’s size 52 frame,” Shettima said.
He argued that Obi’s comparisons overlooked the specific conditions that shape Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.
“Obi’s fascination with foreign comparisons overlooks the peculiarities that distinguish one nation from another,” he added.
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Shettima maintained that effective governance requires an understanding of a country’s social, economic, political and institutional circumstances.
“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.
The vice president further argued that Nigeria’s population of more than 250 million people requires policies tailored to its own circumstances rather than economic prescriptions adopted without sufficient consideration of local conditions.
Vice President Questions Obi’s 2023 Election Claim
Beyond the disagreement over economic policy, Shettima also challenged Obi’s reported assertion that he won the 2023 presidential election, accusing him of making the claim without sufficient evidence.
The vice president characterised the assertion as a “delusion of grandeur” and criticised what he described as the presentation of old political ideas as solutions for the future.
“Our contest is with the politics of yesterday dressed as tomorrow’s deliverance,” Shettima said.
