Femi Adesina, a former spokesman to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, says his chief didn’t remove fuel subsidy because he thought often about the effect of such a policy on “ordinary” Nigerians.
Buhari managed over Nigeria from 2015 to 2023 preceding handing over to President Bola Tinubu from his party – the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During his inauguration, Tinubu articulated an end to the subsidy regime after several years of the Federal Government’s powerlessness to stop it. That prompted to a soaring of the cost of the commodity, pushing the expense of essential items higher across the country.
However in his birthday tribute to Buhari who clocked 82 on Tuesday, Adesina said his chief did not take that decision because of the effect it would have on millions of Nigerians and described him as “ore mekunu” which is a Yoruba expression for “friend of the poor”.
“The Big Elephant in the room. Removal of fuel subsidy. Did you think the Government didn’t have the foggiest idea about that the cash chugging beast must be killed? It knew. However who ensured that subsidies remained as long as it did? Buhari. And why? The people, the ordinary people,” Adesina wrote in a post on his social media.
“His contention was always simple: ‘When oil sold for at least 100 dollars per barrel in the international market, rising even to as high as 140 dollars per barrel, what did the ordinary people gain? Nothing! So why should they be the ones to bear the brunt when oil prices fall?’
“When the administration ended, all, including the three main presidential candidates, were settled that oil subsidies must be taken out. It was not far-fetched that President Buhari had a similar conviction. However, something that could toss society into a tailspin? He didn’t want to do it—for the sake of the ordinary people.
“Ordinary people gravitate towards Buhari, similar bees to the honeycomb. That was why he always had a basket of millions of waiting votes, even before the first ballot was cast. He pummeled the ruling People’s Democratic Party in 2015, and won with even larger votes in 2019, regardless of all attempts to slander and degrade him. When you love the ordinary people, they love you consequently and stand with you through thick and thin.”A
