Shettima: We Must Finish What We Started

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima delivered a sharp call to action during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally in Rivers State on Saturday, urging voters to renew their mandate for President Bola Tinubu to finish rebuilding the nation’s economy.

Delivering the rally’s defining statement, Shettima rallied supporters to reject opposition calls to reverse key reforms: “We have travelled too far to abandon the journey, we have worked too hard to surrender, we have laid the foundations, and we must now raise the structure.”

Highlighting the administration’s financial turnaround over the past three and a half years, Shettima defended President Tinubu’s decision to tackle structural challenges directly rather than delay action.

“When he assumed the mantle of leadership some three and a half years ago, our economy was on the verge of collapse,” Shettima stated.

He noted that the president’s policy choices helped drive Nigeria’s foreign reserves from under $3.9 billion at the start of the tenure toward the $60 billion mark, alongside improved ratings from global credit agencies.

Shettima launched a fiery attack against key opposition figures, accusing them of attempting to mislead the public regarding the administration’s economic trajectory.

Quoting Winston Churchill, he asserted that political opponents were attempting to demonise President Tinubu instead of acknowledging necessary reforms.

He criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for proposing a return to fuel subsidies, while dismissing former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi’s past executive and banking records as “mediocre.”

Addressing the crowd directly, the vice president emphasised that Nigeria cannot afford to abandon its ongoing economic recovery.

“Good people of Rivers State, you choose to stand by us…we ask you to make the choice again; we ask you to renew the mandate you gave President Bola Tinubu and my humble self,” Shettima urged.

He concluded that citizens will increasingly feel the tangible benefits of the administration’s long-term decisions as key economic structures take full effect.