LIVE UPDATES
President Bola Tinubu would have lost the election if fuel subsidy was removed, said an aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Buhari disclosed this in a statement titled, “Why did it take the new Tinubu/Shettima Presidency weeks to remove the petrol subsidy when Buhari didn’t do so for years?”
Shehu explained that his principal was torn between as several polls indicate the party would lose if he implemented the fuel subsidy removal as enacted in the new Petroleum Industry Act.
The ex-presidential aide added that his Principal would not want to add “fuel to the fire” as tension was already high in the nation prior to the election.
According to Shehu, the past administration kept Mum on the issue until now because they "are mindful of the fact that with a Tinubu/Shettima Presidency now in place and for which there is a ‘new Sheriff in town".
Moreso, the past administration "does not want to distract them from the onerous tasks facing them and the nation. Neither is it our wish to take the spotlight away from them in any way.”
Praising the decisions taken by Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima, Shehu opined they have "done overwhelmingly well. Even more importantly, they have been most dexterous in managing the aftermath of the decisions by successfully avoiding any crisis."
He continued, "The decision to remove subsidies, as in our case – and we believe in all situations – was not for the President to take all by himself. That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves – and all those who have conveniently forgotten – that the Buhari administration had been on this pathway from the very beginning in 2015.
"Removing subsidies for the naira and PMS was cued and put on hold. Look for example the Petroleum Industry Act. The important decision was kept for a better time. It could not have come at a time when tensions were high in the country and no responsible leader would have added fuel to the fire.
“In the view of many-including those in the security circles- only a new administration with goodwill that fills a warehouse can attempt this, and here now comes the wit and grit of the Tinubu government.
“Finally, we must be politically honest with ourselves. The Buhari administration, in its last days, could not have gone the whole way because the APC had an election to win. And that would have been the case with any political party that was seeking election for another term with a new principal at its head.”
