Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched a scathing attack on Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), questioning his economic credentials and describing his eight-year tenure as Governor of Anambra State as “at best mediocre.”
Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, November 11, 2026, during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign event held in Ondo State, Shettima dismissed claims framing Obi as an authority on economic management. ”The ability to import cheap South African wines doesn’t make one a guru in economics,” Shettima told the crowd.
“Peter Obi, in spite of all his pretensions about the knowledge of the economy, his performance as governor of Anambra State was at best mediocre.” Shettima further argued that Obi lacks political backing from key figures in his home state, pointing out that former Anambra governors have distanced themselves from his presidential campaign.
”How many of the past governors of Anambra are with him? Is Chris Ngige here with him? The answer is no. Is Willie Obiano with him? The answer is no. Is my friend Charles Chukwuma Soludo with him? The answer is no,” Shettima stated, challenging opposition figures to point to concrete achievements during their 25 years of participation in Nigeria’s democratic governance.
The Vice President also poked fun at Obi for residing in Lagos, asserting that Obi’s presence in the nation’s commercial capital demonstrates that he is directly benefiting from the developmental foundations laid by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Reacting to the Vice President’s remarks, the opposition campaign camp pushed back forcefully on Wednesday evening, defending Obi’s track record as a seasoned businessman and administrator.
Speaking on behalf of the opposition movement, campaign spokespersons condemned Shettima’s comments, accusing the ruling party of growing increasingly anxious over the opposition’s political momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections. ”Shettima, whose only business is politics, is talking down on Peter Obi, a man who has built legitimate businesses and employed millions of Nigerians,” the spokesperson said in a statement released late Wednesday.
“We are in this election to win, and the ruinous, clueless APC is clearly threatened by the momentum we are gaining.” The back-and-forth signals an escalating political battle between the ruling APC and the opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
