Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima has berated Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), saying the former Anambra governor has nothing to offer Nigerians beyond quoting statistics.
Shettima spoke in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the 32nd Nigerian economic summit.
He urged members of the country’s economic community to support the federal government’s policies, while defending its decision to remove petrol subsidy.
“I respect Peter Obi for having the courage to say he’s not going to restore the petrol subsidy, but beyond spouting some statistics, Mr Peter Obi has absolutely nothing to offer,” Shettima said.
“He was surviving on various statistics. So, I call on you, the crème de la crème of the Nigerian economic community, to support us.”
Shettima also compared petrol prices in Nigeria with those in neighbouring countries, arguing that the figures illustrated the implications of the country’s previous fuel pricing arrangements.
“What is the price of fuel in our neighbouring communities? A few years ago, Nigeria was consuming around 67 million litres of fuel per day,” he said.
“Now, in Niger Republic, a litre of fuel goes for approximately N1,148.36, in Benin Republic it goes for N1,729.29, and in Cameroon it goes for N1,945.50; in our country, it goes for N1,390. The comparison is wide. Nigeria was Christmas for other African countries.”
