The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign council has criticised Vice-President Kashim Shettima over his remarks about Atiku Abubakar’s educational background.
In a statement issued on Monday, Phrank Shaibu, director of
strategic communication of the ADC presidential campaign council, said personal
attacks would not ease the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
Shaibu was responding to Shettima’s criticism of Atiku,
presidential candidate of the ADC, at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in
Abuja.
Shettima had questioned Atiku’s ability to govern a modern
economy, citing his training at the Kano School of Hygiene. He also criticised
Atiku’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Shaibu accused the vice-president of focusing on Atiku’s
education instead of addressing the rising cost of living.
“While Shettima debates school records, families are
skipping meals, workers cannot afford the journey to work, and his government
calls their suffering reform,” he said.
The ADC presidential campaign council spokesperson
challenged the vice-president to address allegations concerning President Bola
Tinubu’s academic records rather than ridicule Atiku over his educational
background.
He cited claims about Tinubu’s attendance at Government
College Lagos, which was established in 1974, and questioned an alleged
reference to 1970 as the year of graduation in documents associated with
Tinubu’s education.
Shaibu also questioned the name on Tinubu’s National Youth
Service Corps (NYSC) certificate submitted to the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), saying it bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”.
He noted that Atiku had challenged the discrepancy in court.
The ADC chieftain further referred to litigation in the
United States over the release of records from Chicago State University and a
historical forfeiture case in Chicago involving Tinubu.
Shaibu said Shettima’s criticism of Atiku’s educational
background would not resolve the questions raised by the opposition campaign.
He also criticised the federal government’s handling of the
economy, citing poverty and food insecurity as evidence of the hardship facing
Nigerians.
He referred to World Bank poverty estimates and figures on
acute food insecurity, asking the government to prioritise measures to ease the
cost of living.
Shaibu defended Atiku’s proposal for a targeted petrol
subsidy intervention tied to fuel refined in Nigeria, saying the plan would be
capped, budgeted and independently audited.
“Atiku has proposed a targeted, capped and independently
audited subsidy tied to petrol refined in Nigeria,” he said.
“If Shettima thinks it cannot be funded, he should show his
figures and offer a better way to lower prices. Insulting Atiku will not fill a
cooking pot, pay a bus fare or put fuel in a tank.”
Shaibu said Nigerians would have an opportunity to judge the
administration’s record at the ballot box in the 2027 presidential election.
He maintained that personal attacks on opposition figures
would not address the economic challenges confronting households across the
country.
Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023,
a decision the government has defended as necessary to reduce pressure on
public finances.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com