A founding member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osita Okechukwu, on Saturday urged President Bola Tinubu to delegate greater responsibilities to Kashim Shettima to oversee the nation’s economic affairs, having retained him as Vice President ahead of 2027.
Okechukwu said he was delighted that after all the speculation, rigmarole and political maneuvering surrounding the issue, Tinubu graciously retained Vice President Shettima.
The party chieftain said his call is against the backdrop that the economic reforms of Tinubu have yielded significant gains at the macroeconomic stability level, noting however, that hunger and poverty remain pressing issues deserving attention.
Okechukwu in a statement said, “May I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for graciously retaining His Excellency Kashim Shettima as Vice President and humbly request that more powers be delegated to him to oversee economic affairs.
“I am making this humble appeal based on the fact that the economic reforms of Mr. President have yielded significant gains at the macroeconomic stability level.
“However, hunger and poverty remain pressing challenges, which invariably require the urgent delegation of greater economic responsibilities to the Vice President, given his background in rural development and economic management.”
Okechukwu recalled that even the International Monetary Fund, IMF, godfather of neoliberalism and leading advocate of neoliberal economic policies, noted in its 2026 Article IV Consultation on Nigeria that the country requires more inclusive growth, as approximately 63 percent of Nigerians now live below the national poverty line.
He stressed that while the President’s economic reforms have improved key macroeconomic indicators, greater attention must be directed toward translating those gains into tangible improvements in the living standards of ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, Vice President Shettima’s academic background in Agricultural Economics, experience in banking, and record in public service place him in a strong position to support efforts aimed at reducing poverty, promoting rural development, and ensuring that economic growth becomes more inclusive.
