Tinubu’s subsidy removal not wrong, but… – Peter Obi

Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has weighed in on the controversial removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, stating that while the policy itself is not the problem, the method of its implementation has caused unnecessary hardship for Nigerians.

Speaking during an interview with Arise Television on Monday, Obi clarified that he is not against subsidy removal, but emphasized that such a major policy shift should have been approached with careful planning and a clear strategy.

Obi said, “I’ve consistently maintained that I would have removed the fuel subsidy. If you go to my manifesto, it’s there, steps I would have taken to do it in an organised manner.”

READ ALSO: Tinubu’s aides hijacking presidency with lies – Ndume

He acknowledged that the subsidy regime was riddled with corruption and needed to be ended, but stressed that Tinubu’s abrupt removal lacked proper implementation strategies.

“There is nothing wrong in the removal of subsidy; what is wrong is the haphazard way in which it was announced and implemented,” he said.

“Everybody knows that the subsidy regime was that of criminality.

“As outlined in my manifesto, I would have implemented subsidy removal in a structured and organised manner.”

Obi further criticised the Tinubu administration for not channeling the savings from subsidy removal into vital sectors that would benefit the masses.

“However, the savings from subsidy removal from the Tinubu administration are not being reflected in critical areas of human development, such as education, health, and poverty alleviation,” he added.

Recall that President Tinubu had announced the end of the fuel subsidy regime during his inauguration in May 2023, drawing both support and widespread criticism over the timing and impact of the decision.