2027: Shettima Admits Economic Pain but Calls for Tinubu’s Re-Election

Vice President Kashim Shettima has acknowledged the hardship Nigerians are experiencing due to the Federal Government’s economic reforms, while urging voters to re-elect President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at an APC presidential campaign rally held at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Shettima defended the administration’s policies. He argued that the benefits of the reforms are beginning to show, even though they have imposed difficulties on citizens.

Shettima compared Tinubu’s leadership style to that of Singapore’s late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, noting that tough decisions are sometimes required to secure long-term national development. He also asked Nigerians to judge the government against the economic conditions it inherited in 2023 and to give the reforms more time to yield results.

The Vice President further appealed to Cross River State voters to back the re-election of Tinubu, Governor Bassey Otu, Deputy Governor Peter Odey, and other APC candidates contesting legislative seats in 2027.

Governor Otu, who also spoke at the event, pointed to several federal infrastructure projects expected to benefit the state. These include the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport, and the planned Gulf of Guinea Commission Secretariat in Calabar.

He said the projects could improve transportation, attract investment, and create jobs, while urging residents to support the APC at every level.Otu also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a federal intervention that could ease the financial pressure of tertiary education on families.

The rally drew a large crowd of party leaders, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, members of the National Assembly, APC governors, and other stakeholders.