Kwankwaso Defends Peter Obi, Says Most of His Statistics Were Correct

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has defended the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, following criticism from Vice-President Kashim Shettima over his use of economic statistics and comparisons with other countries.

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. Shettima used a clothing-size analogy to argue that a model suited to Bangladesh might not be appropriate for Nigeria.

Responding during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, Kwankwaso said he was not surprised by Shettima’s remarks. He maintained that his assessment of Obi’s public statements was based on checking the figures rather than accepting them without scrutiny.

“I always listen to him (Obi). Like all others, I take time to check the statistics. As far as I’m concerned, most of the figures he was reeling out were correct,” Kwankwaso said.

He acknowledged that people could make mistakes or experience slips of the tongue but argued that Shettima’s criticism of Obi was misplaced. Kwankwaso also praised Obi’s familiarity with development statistics from Nigeria and other parts of the world, describing this knowledge as an advantage for a presidential candidate.

Kwankwaso further explained that his decision to partner with Obi under the NDC was based on their shared vision for the country. According to him, their agreement to work together reflects a common goal of building the party and contributing to Nigeria’s development.

“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,” he said.