Shettima Compares Tinubu’s Reforms to Singapore’s Transformation, Otu Highlights Major Federal Projects at Calabar Rally

By Correspondent

Vice President Kashim Shettima has compared President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms to the transformative policies that turned Singapore from a struggling former colony into a global economic powerhouse, insisting that Nigeria is beginning to reap the benefits of difficult but necessary economic decisions.

Shettima spoke on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally held at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Cross River State, where he led prominent party leaders in seeking renewed mandates for President Tinubu and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Vice President, who drew parallels between Tinubu’s economic policies and the leadership of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, acknowledged the temporary hardship associated with the reforms but maintained that the sacrifices were necessary to establish a stronger and more sustainable economy.

According to him, Singapore’s experience demonstrated that national transformation requires courageous leadership, difficult decisions and consistency in policy implementation, even when such decisions initially impose economic discomfort on citizens.

Shettima argued that the Tinubu administration had already undertaken the most difficult phase of economic restructuring, expressing confidence that the country was entering a period when the benefits of the reforms would become increasingly evident.

He dismissed the possibility of an alternative political administration delivering better economic results, insisting that the opposition parties lacked the capacity to improve on the economic direction established by the Tinubu government.

“We are confident of this promise to deliver for this nation because we have already done the most difficult job of economic reset. None of the other options available has the capacity to move the needle of the economy.

“We have rescued the economy, and the road ahead is one of harvest. This second term is one of harvest, for you and all Nigerians,” he declared.

The Vice President consequently appealed to Nigerians to renew the mandate of President Tinubu and himself, while also seeking another term for Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, and his deputy, Peter Odey.

“I therefore stand before you today to ask you, once again, to renew the mandate of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and myself as Vice President.

“And another term for Senator Bassey Edet Otu and Hon. Peter Odey as Governor and Deputy Governor of Cross River State, respectively,” Shettima said.

He described Cross River as a politically significant state, urging its people to sustain their engagement with the Federal Government and support the APC’s candidates at all levels.

Governor Otu, in his remarks, focused on the development opportunities presented by major Federal Government projects and interventions, arguing that Cross River State was strategically positioned to benefit from Tinubu’s infrastructure and economic development agenda.

He specifically highlighted the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport, the proposed Gulf of Guinea Commission Secretariat in Calabar and the efforts to revive the Calabar Port as projects capable of transforming the state’s economic landscape.

According to Otu, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would significantly improve connectivity, facilitate the movement of people and goods, boost tourism and attract investments into Cross River and other coastal communities.

He described the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport as a potential international maritime gateway that could expand the state’s commercial activities, generate employment and position Cross River as an important destination for international trade.

The governor also identified the proposed Gulf of Guinea Commission Secretariat as an opportunity to expand international engagement and stimulate hospitality, tourism and other commercial activities in Calabar.

Otu stressed that the state must translate its political relevance and strategic geographical position into tangible economic benefits, adding that cooperation between the Federal Government and the state government was essential to achieving its development aspirations.

He also drew attention to Federal Government education financing initiatives, particularly the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that such interventions could ease the financial burden on parents and improve access to tertiary education for young Nigerians.

The governor maintained that the various federal projects and programmes represented significant opportunities for economic expansion, infrastructure development and human capital growth in Cross River State.

Also speaking, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, described Tinubu as a transformational leader and urged Cross River residents to support the party’s candidates across the country.

He cited the Federal Government’s support for the Bakassi Deep Seaport, the proposed revival of the Calabar Port and the Trans-Sahara Superhighway among initiatives demonstrating the administration’s commitment to Cross River State.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Campaign Director-General Senator Abdulaziz Yari and other party leaders also attended the rally.

Yari dismissed suggestions that the North would abandon Tinubu’s second-term ambition, arguing that the President’s performance had earned him another opportunity to lead the country.

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, was among the APC governors and national leaders who joined Shettima and Akpabio at the rally.

Okpebholo’s presence alongside the Vice President and other national party leaders further underscored Edo State’s participation in the APC’s national political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement posted on his official social media platform after the rally, the Edo governor said the enthusiasm, solidarity and turnout of party supporters in Calabar demonstrated the level of mobilisation within the APC.

He commended party leaders, stakeholders and supporters for their participation, urging them to sustain unity and commitment to the party’s political activities.

Okpebholo also expressed confidence in the continued implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda, while reiterating the commitment of Edo APC leaders to the mobilisation effort ahead of 2027.

Political leaders in Edo State have maintained that the governor’s leadership and the party’s mobilisation structures would be central to the delivery of the 2.5 million votes pledged for President Tinubu in the state.

Earlier, Shettima led the APC delegation to the palace of the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu, where he sought the monarch’s support and blessings for the party’s political aspirations.

The rally attracted thousands of APC supporters and party faithful from Cross River and other parts of the South-South region.