Vice-President Kashim Shettima has taken a swipe at former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, accusing the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) of relying on statistics without presenting solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
Shettima made the remarks on Monday at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, where he urged members of Nigeria’s economic community to support the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The vice-president acknowledged Obi’s position against restoring the petrol subsidy but questioned his capacity to offer alternative solutions to the country’s economic problems.
“I respect Peter Obi for having the courage to say he’s not going to restore the petrol subsidy, but beyond spouting some statistics, Mr Peter Obi has absolutely nothing to offer,” Shettima said.
He added that Obi had relied heavily on figures in making his arguments, urging economic stakeholders to support the federal government’s reform agenda.
“He was surviving on various statistics. So, I call on you, the crème de la crème of the Nigerian economic community, to support us,” he said.
Defending the removal of petrol subsidy, Shettima argued that the policy had corrected distortions in the country’s fuel pricing system and curbed the diversion of subsidised Nigerian petrol to neighbouring countries.
To buttress his argument, he compared petrol prices in Nigeria with those in neighbouring African countries, citing figures which he said demonstrated the consequences of the previous subsidy regime.
According to the vice-president, Nigeria consumed approximately 67 million litres of petrol daily a few years ago, while fuel prices in neighbouring countries were significantly higher.
He said a litre of petrol sold for about N1,148.36 in Niger Republic, N1,729.29 in Benin Republic and N1,945.50 in Cameroon, compared with N1,390 in Nigeria.
“The comparison is wide. Nigeria was Christmas for other African countries,” he said.
Shettima’s comments come as political parties and potential contenders intensify discussions over economic policy ahead of the 2027 general elections, with fuel subsidy removal and the rising cost of living remaining major points of contention.
The vice-president also criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his reported proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected president, arguing that such a move would undermine the current administration’s economic reforms.
He maintained that Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy was a necessary but difficult step taken in response to the country’s economic realities.
“The president took those painful decisions because he understands the dynamics,” Shettima said.
