Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has stoutly defended presidential candidate Peter Obi following sharp criticism from Vice-President Kashim Shettima over alleged “bogus statistics.”

The political friction erupted earlier in the week when Vice-President Shettima launched a public critique of Obi. While acknowledging respect for Obi’s background, Shettima criticized the former presidential candidate for asserting victory in the 2023 elections without evidentiary support, labeling him “the master of bogus statistics and incoherent economic prescriptions.”

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Shettima further argued that Obi’s economic prescriptions relied on foreign templates ill-suited to Nigeria’s domestic realities.

Appearing as a guest on Channels Television on Thursday, Kwankwaso pushed back against the vice-president’s remarks, maintaining that Obi’s data and figures are fundamentally accurate.

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“You see, I always listen to him. Like all others, I take time to check the statistics. As far as I’m concerned, most of the figures he was reeling out were correct,” Kwankwaso stated.

While conceding that minor errors or slips of the tongue can happen to anyone as human beings, Kwankwaso insisted that Shettima’s broad dismissal of Obi’s analytical rigor was unfounded. He commended Obi’s deep proficiency in global and domestic development metrics, framing it as an invaluable asset for an aspiring national leader.

“So I am happy that our presidential candidate is somebody who is conversant with the statistics not only in this country but all over the world, in Europe, in Asia, everywhere. And I think that is a good thing,” Kwankwaso added.