‘You Are the Master of Bogus Statistics’ — Shettima Slams Peter Obi

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has criticised former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi over his use of economic statistics and comparisons with other countries, describing him as the “master of bogus statistics and incoherent economic prescriptions”.

Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, as the ruling party intensifies preparations for the 2027 general election.

Addressing Obi directly, the Vice-President questioned the former Labour Party presidential candidate’s reliance on Bangladesh as a reference point for assessing Nigeria’s economic performance and policy choices.

Calling Obi his “very good friend”, Shettima said the former governor appeared convinced that policies suited to Bangladesh could be transferred to Nigeria without sufficient consideration of the differences between the two countries.

“He seems convinced that a size 36 shirt tailored for Bangladesh will somehow fit Nigeria’s size 52 frame,” he said.

Shettima argued that effective governance required 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.

He added that a country with a population exceeding 200 million could not be governed through foreign statistics and economic prescriptions detached from its specific conditions.

The Vice-President also challenged Obi’s repeated assertion that he won the 2023 presidential election, describing the claim as a “delusion of grandeur” and arguing that it had not been supported by evidence.

Obi contested the 2023 election as the Labour Party’s presidential candidate and finished third behind President Bola Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He challenged the result in court, but the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal and affirmed Tinubu’s election in October 2023.

Obi has continued to criticise the Tinubu administration’s economic management, arguing that Nigeria’s central problem is the management of public resources rather than borrowing alone. He has also used international comparisons to highlight differences in economic development and public-sector performance.

Shettima’s remarks add to the growing political exchanges ahead of the 2027 election, with the ruling party defending its policies and opposition figures questioning their impact on Nigerians.

The debate over economic statistics and international comparisons highlights competing arguments about how Nigeria should measure progress and address its economic challenges.