Kwankwaso Defends Peter Obi After Shettima Calls Him ‘Master of Bogus Statistics’

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has defended presidential candidate Peter Obi following criticism from Vice-President Kashim Shettima over his use of economic statistics and policy proposals.
Shettima had described Obi as “the master of bogus statistics and incoherent economic prescriptions” during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja on Wednesday.
The vice-president, while referring to Obi as his “very good friend”, questioned the former Anambra State governor’s comparisons between Nigeria and other countries, particularly Bangladesh. He argued that differences in the countries’ circumstances made such comparisons inappropriate.
“He seems convinced that a size 36 shirt tailored for Bangladesh will somehow fit Nigeria’s size 52 frame,” Shettima said.
However, Kwankwaso dismissed the criticism, saying he was not surprised by the vice-president’s remarks. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, the former Kano State governor maintained that many of the figures Obi had presented were accurate.
“What else would you expect him to say?” Kwankwaso asked, adding that he routinely listened to Obi’s arguments and checked the statistics for himself.
Kwankwaso acknowledged that mistakes or slips of the tongue could occur but argued that this did not justify Shettima’s assessment of Obi’s knowledge of economic and development issues. He described the NDC presidential candidate’s familiarity with statistics from Nigeria and other parts of the world as a major advantage.
The NDC vice-presidential candidate also explained that shared ideas about Nigeria’s future influenced his decision to join forces with Obi. He said their similar development goals made it easier for the two politicians, representing different parts of the country, to work together ahead of the 2027 general election.
“We realised all our vision for the country was similar and it was easy for us to say, ‘Okay, let’s work together as leaders from the South and the North to ensure the success of the party and, by extension, the country,” Kwankwaso said.