Vice-President Kashim Shettima has described the performance of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi in government and the banking sector as mediocre, questioning his record ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Shettima made the remark on Saturday while addressing supporters at a presidential rally organised by the Rainbow Coalition in support of President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State.
“Peter Obi was governor of Anambra State for eight years, and his performance was mediocre. He was also a chairman of a bank in Nigeria, and his performance there was equally mediocre. It was after his exit that the bank started working stronger,” the Vice-President said.
A video clip of the remarks was shared on social media by an X user, @Imranmuhdz.
The comments form part of the growing political exchanges between the ruling All Progressives Congress and Obi, who is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general election.
Obi governed Anambra State from March 2006 to March 2014, with a brief interruption following his impeachment in 2006, which was later overturned by the courts. He served two terms on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
During his tenure, Obi was widely associated with fiscal discipline, savings and investment in education and healthcare.
His administration returned several mission schools to their original owners, while the state recorded improvements in educational performance and internally generated revenue.
However, his governorship record has increasingly become a subject of political controversy, particularly over the state’s finances, infrastructure development and alleged outstanding liabilities.
The Anambra State Government, under Governor Chukwuma Soludo, has recently accused Obi’s administration of leaving behind external loans and other financial obligations
The state claimed that about $123.77m in external borrowings remained outstanding when Obi left office.
Obi has rejected the allegations, insisting that he did not personally obtain commercial bank loans on behalf of the state and that his administration left office without owing salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractors whose projects had been completed, certified and verified.
The former governor has also defended the funding arrangements linked to projects undertaken during his administration, arguing that some were supported by the Federal Government and multilateral institutions.
Beyond his political career, Obi has a background in business and finance.
He previously served as chairman of the board of Fidelity Bank Plc, alongside other corporate positions, before entering partisan politics.
Shettima’s criticism of Obi’s banking record, however, did not include specific details of the bank’s performance indicators, financial results or the period he was referring to.
Obi’s supporters have often cited his business background and approach to public finance as evidence of his capacity to manage Nigeria’s economy, while political opponents have continued to challenge his record in both the private and public sectors.
The latest remarks come amid escalating political exchanges between Tinubu’s administration and opposition figures, particularly Obi, over economic management, leadership experience and the performance of previous administrations.
Tinubu also criticised Obi on Friday during an APC rally in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, over his handling of erosion challenges in Anambra, contrasting it with his own record as Lagos State governor.
The repeated attacks on Obi’s record underscore the growing political contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the ruling party and opposition candidates increasingly focusing on their respective records in office.
