Vice President Kashim Shettima has acknowledged the economic hardship facing Nigerians under President Bola Tinubu’s administration but urged citizens to give the ruling government another four years in the 2027 general election.
Shettima made the appeal during an APC presidential campaign rally held at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Cross River State, where he defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms despite the difficulties experienced by citizens.
The Vice President argued that although the reforms had imposed significant hardship on Nigerians, their benefits were beginning to emerge and should be given more time to produce lasting results.
He compared Tinubu’s leadership approach to that of Singapore’s former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, arguing that difficult decisions were sometimes necessary to achieve long-term national development.
Shettima urged Nigerians to evaluate the administration’s performance against the economic situation it inherited when it assumed office in 2023.
He also appealed to voters in Cross River State to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, alongside Governor Bassey Otu, Deputy Governor Peter Odey and other APC candidates contesting legislative positions in 2027.
Speaking at the rally, Governor Otu highlighted several federal infrastructure projects expected to benefit Cross River State, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport and the proposed Gulf of Guinea Commission Secretariat in Calabar.
According to the governor, the projects could improve transportation, attract investments and create employment opportunities across the state.
Otu also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing it as one of the Federal Government’s interventions aimed at reducing the financial burden of tertiary education on Nigerian families.
He subsequently urged Cross River residents to support the APC at all levels in the 2027 general elections.
The rally attracted several prominent political figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, members of the National Assembly, APC governors, party officials and other political stakeholders.
