Shettima to Obi: You Are Master of Bogus Statistics

Nigeria’s 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 at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Referring to Obi as a friend, the vice president criticised his frequent comparisons between Nigeria and Bangladesh, arguing that the two countries have different economic and institutional circumstances.

Using a clothing analogy, Shettima said Obi appeared to believe that a shirt tailored for Bangladesh could fit Nigeria despite the differences in their sizes.

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

He argued that economic policies and development strategies could not be transferred from one country to another without considering differences in population, economic structures, institutions and national conditions.

Shettima maintained that effective governance required an understanding of a country’s specific social, economic, political and institutional realities, adding that Nigeria’s population of more than 250 million made it unsuitable for policies based on statistics and prescriptions detached from its circumstances.

“Governance is an art that demands mastery of context, whether social, economic, political or institutional.

“What succeeds in Bangladesh cannot simply be transplanted to Nigeria without accounting for the differences in our population, economic structures, institutions and national circumstances.

“A country of over 250 million people cannot be governed through borrowed statistics and economic prescriptions detached from its peculiarities,” he said.  

The vice president also accused Obi of making an unsupported claim that he won the 2023 presidential election, describing the assertion as a delusion of grandeur.

Shettima said the APC’s political contest was against what he characterised as old-fashioned politics presented as a promise of a better future.

Obi has repeatedly cited Bangladesh in his criticism of the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly its borrowing decisions.

In February, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate argued that Nigeria’s economic challenge stemmed from the mismanagement of public funds rather than borrowing itself.

Obi contested the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in court after finishing third behind Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The Supreme Court dismissed his appeal and upheld Tinubu’s victory in October 2023.

Obi is seeking the presidency again in the January 16, 2027 election under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

Meanwhile, the APC is scheduled to begin its presidential campaign in Kaduna on October 24.