The Peter Obi Media Office (POMR) has berated Vice President Kashim Shettima over his recent remark about their principal.
Naija News reports that Shettima, during the unveiling of the Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) campaign office in Abuja on Saturday, described the NDC flag bearer as a diminished politician.
He said, “Honestly, I am not afraid of the PDP. I am not afraid of a diminished Peter Obi. But I am more afraid of internal contradictions within our household.”
He equally charged northern leaders to “go and defeat Baba Atiku. Defeat him respectfully.”
In a statement, POMR spokesman Idris Zeker called on South-East political leaders who had disrespected Obi to take a lesson from Shettima, who demanded respect for his northern counterpart in the opposition while joining them in disparaging their brother.
According to the Media Office, the vice president discourteously referred to Obi as “diminished” but called on Northerners to show respect to Atiku Abubakar, “possibly because he is a Northerner.”
It said although Shettima has the right to oppose Obi, it is difficult to understand why he would demand respect for one opposition leader while casually dismissing another.
“As a man of great decency, our candidate has conducted his campaign professionally and decorously. He has consistently focused his remarks on issues and has neither discussed nor used abusive language against anyone. Shettima and Obi served as governors during the same period.
“However, Obi’s performance in Anambra State across key areas of governance surpassed Shettima’s record in Borno State, as demonstrated by performance statistics and the awards he received. During his tenure as governor of Anambra, Peter Obi earned recognition for his fiscal discipline and investments in education and healthcare.
“If Shettima contests any aspect of Obi’s record, he should present the facts rather than resort to political name-calling,” the statement read in part.
The Media Office urged Igbo leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and all Nigerians to draw the appropriate lesson from this episode and note that political loyalty must never justify tolerating disrespect toward a fellow Nigerian.
“Those who oppose Obi should scrutinise his ideas and record rather than resorting to personal abuse.
“Nigeria needs a contest based on records and ideas, not selective respect and political denigration. The Nigerian people, rather than Shettima’s rhetoric, will determine Peter Obi’s political relevance,” it added.
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