Vice President Kashim Shettima has defended the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, admitting that while the measures have brought hardship, they are starting to show positive outcomes. Speaking on Monday on behalf of the President at an All Progressives Congress campaign rally at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Cross River State, Shettima appealed to citizens to assess the government by comparing the current state of affairs with the conditions inherited in 2023.
The Vice President maintained that achieving long-term economic growth demands difficult choices that may cause initial discomfort, according to Punch. Drawing a parallel with international history, he likened Tinubu's leadership style to that of Singapore's founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who oversaw the shift of his country from an impoverished territory into a major global financial center.
Shettima urged residents of Cross River to deliver their votes to the ruling party in the upcoming 2027 general elections, describing the state as politically strategic. He called on the crowd to re-elect Tinubu, Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu, Deputy Governor Peter Odey, and other candidates contesting on the platform of the APC.
Governor Otu addressed the gathering, promising that the state would provide maximum votes for the President at the polls. He argued that the state stands to gain substantially from federal initiatives, pointing to major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the planned Bakassi Deep Seaport, and the proposed location of the Gulf of Guinea Commission Secretariat in Calabar. Otu also mentioned the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a critical intervention aiding students in higher institutions.
APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda also spoke at the event, urging party faithful to translate the large turnout into actual ballots during the January 2027 presidential election. Yilwatda pledged that the administration would support the establishment of export-driven industries in the state.
The Calabar rally drew several high-ranking political figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, and the Deputy Director-General of the Campaign Council, Adams Oshiomhole.
