Shettima say Peter Obi only dey give statistics, defend fuel subsidy removal
- Vice-President Kashim Shettima talk for Abuja say Peter Obi no get anything to offer apart from statistics.
- Shettima say e respect Obi for refusing to bring back petrol subsidy but e question im economic proposals.
- E compare Nigerian petrol prices with those for Niger, Benin and Cameroon to defend the subsidy removal.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima don take fresh swipe at Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), say di former Anambra State governor dey give Nigerians figures instead of solutions.
Shettima talk for Abuja on Monday, where e urge members of di country economic community to back President Bola Tinubu policies.
E say e respect Obi for saying e no go bring back petrol subsidy, but e add: “Beyond spouting some statistics, Mr Peter Obi get absolutely nothing to offer.”
Di Vice-President say Obi dey “surviving on various statistics” and call on wetin e describe as di top of Nigeria economic community to support di government.
Fuel prices and di subsidy debate
Shettima defend di removal of petrol subsidy, wey di Federal Government end for May 2023, shortly after Tinubu take office. Di decision push up petrol prices and cost of transport and goods, and e remain one of di most debated policies for di country.
To make im case, di Vice-President compare pump prices across di region. E put a litre of petrol at about ₦1,148.36 for Niger Republic, ₦1,729.29 for Benin Republic and ₦1,945.50 for Cameroon, against ₦1,390 for Nigeria.
“Nigeria be Christmas for other African countries,” e talk, referring to di country fuel pricing before.
E also say Nigeria consume around 67 million litres of fuel a day a few years ago.
Di government don argue say removing di subsidy dey ease di burden on public finances. Opposition politicians don call for stronger measures to cushion di rising cost of living.
Shettima remarks be di latest for a long exchange with Obi, wey e once call a “master of bogus statistics.” On Monday e also question Obi claim say e win di 2023 election, describe am as a “delusion of grandeur,” and say policies no fit just dey copied from other countries.
Obi don build much of im criticism of government policy on economic data and public spending figures, dey call for transparency, fiscal discipline and accountability.
Daily Post report say di comments draw reactions on social media, with supporters of Obi defending am.
Wetin go happen next
Both camps dey already look toward di 2027 general elections, and di argument over subsidy removal and cost of living likely go stay at di centre of di campaign.
