Vice President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu deserves a second term as Nigerians go to the polls next year.
He made the statement in Abuja on Tuesday, during the inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Vice President said the current administration’s economic reforms have put Nigeria on the path to recovery; thus, there is a need to re-elect the President to enable him to consolidate on his achievements.
VP Shettima said the president inherited an economy “approaching fiscal catastrophe” and took difficult decisions on fuel subsidy and foreign exchange distortions that previous administrations avoided.
“He understands that a leader must sometimes spend his popularity to preserve his country’s possibilities. He has refused to purchase an afternoon of applause at the expense of our children’s tomorrow,” Shettima said.
He cited recent economic indicators to back his claim, noting that the economy grew by 4.2% in the past half of 2026 and that gross external reserves exceeded $58 billion this week, the highest since November 2008.
“The next obligation is to turn these gains into jobs, affordable food, and dependable services. Nigerians deserve to feel the recovery they have financed through sacrifice,” he stated.
The Vice President used the opportunity to frown at recent remarks by opposition candidates, as he described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is seeking the presidency for what would be his eighth attempt, as inconsistent on economic ideology, questioning his recent advocacy for return of petrol subsidies.
He also criticised Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, over his use of foreign economic comparisons, particularly referencing Bangladesh.
“What succeeds in Bangladesh cannot simply be transplanted to Nigeria without accounting for the differences in our populations, economic structures and institutions. A country of over 250 million people cannot be governed through borrowed statistics,” he said.
Issues Based Campaign
The vice president, however, said the APC campaign will focus on issues and not insults.
“We have the capacity to respond to all sorts of innuendos and outright lies, but we won’t fall into their traps. We’ll give them facts. We’ll give those statistics. We will argue with reason.
“We will discuss ideas, we will discuss policies, but we will treat all our opponents with respect and dignity. They are not our enemies; they are our brothers, they are our countrymen,” he said.
Charge
VP Shettima called on members of the campaign council to return to their communities to listen, organise and sell the administration’s achievements, saying the work started by the Tinubu administration has acquired momentum that Nigeria cannot afford to squander.
