Vice-President Kashim Shettima has criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, over his comparison of Nigeria’s economic performance with that of Bangladesh, arguing that policies successful in one country cannot automatically be replicated in another.
Shettima made the remarks on Friday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The Vice-President said Obi had repeatedly used Bangladesh and other countries as examples when discussing Nigeria’s economic challenges without adequately considering differences in population, institutions and economic structures.
“You cannot copy and paste what works in Bangladesh and think it will work in Nigeria,” Shettima said.
He acknowledged that he had personal respect for the former Anambra State governor but argued that such respect did not mean Obi had presented convincing plans for governing the country.
Shettima accused the NDC candidate of relying on statistics and what he described as sweet talk rather than offering practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
He also described Obi as the “master of bogus statistics and incoherent economic prescriptions”, questioning the substance of his economic proposals.
The Vice-President further criticised Obi’s position on fuel subsidy, accusing him of confusing Nigerians over the policy and its implications for the economy.
Shettima urged Nigerians to assess petrol prices beyond the domestic market, arguing that they should also compare the cost of the product with prices in neighbouring countries.
The exchange followed Obi’s use of Bangladesh as an example in discussing Nigeria’s borrowing and economic development.
The former governor had argued that borrowing was not necessarily harmful if funds were invested in productive sectors such as infrastructure, industry and human development rather than used for consumption.
Obi had also compared economic indicators from Nigeria and Bangladesh to illustrate how investment choices and the management of borrowed funds could influence national growth.
Shettima, however, maintained that economic models must be assessed within the specific circumstances of each country, insisting that Nigeria’s population size, institutional structure and economic realities should inform any policy proposal.
The disagreement adds to the growing exchanges between the APC leadership and Obi as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.
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