Shettima says Peter Obi offers only statistics, defends fuel subsidy removal

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has taken a fresh swipe at Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), saying the former Anambra State governor offers Nigerians figures rather than solutions.

Shettima spoke in Abuja on Monday, where he urged members of the country's economic community to back President Bola Tinubu's policies.

He said he respects Obi for saying he would not bring back the petrol subsidy, but added: “Beyond spouting some statistics, Mr Peter Obi has absolutely nothing to offer.”

The Vice-President said Obi was “surviving on various statistics” and called on what he described as the top of Nigeria's economic community to support the government.

Fuel prices and the subsidy debate

Shettima defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, which the Federal Government ended in May 2023, shortly after Tinubu took office. The decision pushed up petrol prices and the cost of transport and goods, and it remains one of the most debated policies in the country.

To make his case, the Vice-President compared pump prices across the region. He put a litre of petrol at about ₦1,148.36 in Niger Republic, ₦1,729.29 in Benin Republic and ₦1,945.50 in Cameroon, against ₦1,390 in Nigeria.

“Nigeria was Christmas for other African countries,” he said, referring to the country's past fuel pricing.

He also said Nigeria consumed around 67 million litres of fuel a day a few years ago.

The government has argued that removing the subsidy eases the burden on public finances. Opposition politicians have called for stronger measures to cushion the rising cost of living.

Shettima's remarks are the latest in a long exchange with Obi, whom he once called a “master of bogus statistics.” On Monday he also questioned Obi's claim to have won the 2023 election, describing it as a “delusion of grandeur,” and said policies cannot simply be copied from other countries.

Obi has built much of his criticism of government policy on economic data and public spending figures, calling for transparency, fiscal discipline and accountability.

Daily Post reported that the comments drew reactions on social media, with supporters of Obi defending him.

What happens next

Both camps are already looking toward the 2027 general elections, and the argument over subsidy removal and the cost of living is likely to stay at the centre of the campaign.