Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, of resisting the removal of fuel subsidy during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Atiku, who recalled that he headed the negotiations with the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, with Oshiomhole as the Chairman, said the current APC Chairman stood strongly against it.
The Waziri of Adamawa was backing an earlier tweet by his Spokesman, Paul Ibe, which reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Obasanjo administration embarked on a regime of subsidy removal.
“But the former NLC Chairman frustrated the efforts. Even at that, the Obasanjo government achieved some measures of subsidy removal before their exit in 2007.”
And adding to the claim, Atiku added, “The Obasanjo government in which I served commenced a phased subsidy withdrawal.
“I was tasked with negotiating with then NLC Chairman and current APC Chairman who stood strongly against it.”
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) on Thursday announced the removal of the price cap on the retail price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
And in reaction to this, Atiku had tweeted saying, “FG finally withdraws from the fuel subsidy and price-fixing bazaar that had been rife with corruption and stalling investments,” adding that this was something well-meaning Nigerians have been calling for and for which he (Atiku) was demonized.
Recall that during the administration of Obasanjo, the move to withdraw the subsidy and increase fuel price was vehemently opposed by the Adams Oshiomhole-led NLC with series of nationwide protests at the time.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK