“I Respect Peter Obi,” Shettima Declares at APC Campaign Council Inauguration

Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi became a prominent subject at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Wednesday after Vice-President Kashim Shettima declared his respect for the opposition politician while launching a pointed criticism of his economic arguments and claims about the 2023 presidential election.

Describing Obi as “my very good friend,” Shettima said he respected the former Labour Party presidential candidate but accused him of relying on what he called bogus statistics and incoherent economic prescriptions. He also challenged Obi’s assertion that he won the 2023 presidential election, arguing that he had not produced evidence to support the claim.

“I respect Peter Obi, but he has gone beyond his mastery of philosophy to make bogus claims about winning the 2023 presidential election without a shred of evidence to buttress his assertion. This is called delusion of grandeur,” Shettima said.

The remarks came as the ruling party formally inaugurated its campaign structure ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. Although Obi was not part of the APC gathering, Shettima’s decision to single him out brought the opposition figure into focus at an event intended to mobilise support for the president’s second-term ambition.

Beyond the dispute over the 2023 election, Shettima questioned Obi’s economic arguments, particularly his comparisons between Nigeria and Bangladesh.

Obi has frequently cited the Asian country in discussions about economic management, development and the use of public resources. Shettima, however, argued that economic policies and statistics from one country cannot simply be transferred to another without considering differences in population, institutions, economic structures and national circumstances.

Using a clothing analogy to make his point, the vice-president suggested that Obi appeared to believe a shirt tailored for Bangladesh would fit Nigeria despite the differences between the two countries.

Shettima maintained that Nigeria, with a population exceeding 200 million, could not be governed effectively through statistics or economic prescriptions detached from its particular realities.

His remarks reflected a broader disagreement over how Nigeria should address its economic challenges and which international examples offer the most relevant lessons for the country.

Shettima’s criticism of Obi’s claim to have won the 2023 presidential election also revisited one of the most contentious issues arising from that contest.

Obi contested the election under the Labour Party and finished third in the official results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), behind Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Obi challenged the outcome in court, but the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal and affirmed Tinubu’s election on October 26, 2023. The court also dismissed Atiku’s separate appeal against the result.

Shettima’s remarks at the APC inauguration were directed at Obi’s continued assertion about the election outcome rather than a pending legal challenge to Tinubu’s victory.

The inauguration marked a further step in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election, bringing together the party’s leadership and political figures from outside its ranks.

Tinubu chairs the Presidential Campaign Council, with Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda serving as first and second vice-chairmen, respectively. Former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari serves as director-general, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma is the council’s secretary.

The campaign arrangements also feature prominent politicians who belong to other political parties, including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke. Their inclusion reflects the broad political reach of the council’s membership and its state-level coordination structure.

Against this backdrop, Shettima’s decision to devote part of his address to Obi added an opposition figure to the political conversation at the ruling party’s campaign launch.

The exchange highlighted the competing arguments likely to feature in the run-up to the 2027 election, particularly over economic management, national development and the record of the Tinubu administration.

As political parties begin to consolidate their campaign structures, the debate over Nigeria’s economic direction and the performance of its leaders is likely to remain central to the contest.