Garba Shehu, the former Senior Special Assistant on Media to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has provided explanations for why the administration was unable to eliminate fuel subsidy. According to Shehu, the task of removing fuel subsidy would require a new administration with general support and resources comparable to a fully-stocked warehouse. He specifically emphasised that only President Bola Tinubu possesses such favorable conditions.
Issuing a statement on Monday through his verified Twitter account, Shehu clarified that even during the final days of Buhari’s administration, it was not feasible to abolish the contentious policy due to the electoral ambitions of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He contended that the implementation of the new Petroleum Industry Act could have resulted in the party being ousted from power.
The statement partly reads: ‘So no, Buhari didn’t remove the petrol subsidy–but in vitally important stages, he removed every other budget-busting, egregious, economic-growth-crushing subsidy along the way.’
‘So far I have refrained from answering these repeated questions on the removal in Nigeria of subsidies on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and that arising from the dual rates of the Naira in the Central Bank and the parallel market: Why did Buhari ‘fail’ to do these?’
‘First of all, my thinking is that instead of the former President answering this question, it is the Party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, that is best suited to speak, and failing to do this, we are forced to say what will follow here.’
‘Secondly, we are mindful of the fact that with a Tinubu/Shettima presidency now in place and for which there is a New Sheriff in Town, we do 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.’
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‘In terms of the timings of the decisions to remove fuel subsidy and unify the currency, the Tinubu/Shettima administration has done overwhelmingly well. Even more importantly, they have been most dexterous in managing the aftermath of the decisions by successfully avoiding any crisis.’
‘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.’
‘Removing subsidies for the Naira and PMS was cued and put on hold. Look, for example, in 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 a 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.’
‘Poll after poll showed that the party would have been thrown out of office if the decision as envisaged by the new Petroleum Industry Act was made.’
This development has taken the political landscape by surprise, as there were no clear indications beforehand that this strategy would be utilized as a means to secure victory in the previous election.