President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerians to be wary of political promises surrounding fuel subsidy, insisting that the policy belongs to the country’s past.
Tinubu spoke on Saturday at the flag-off of his presidential re-election campaign in Kaduna, where he appealed to voters not to be misled by politicians seeking their support ahead of the 2027 general election.
The President urged Nigerians to scrutinise political claims and carefully consider the choices before them, expressing confidence that his administration could deliver a better future for the country.
“Be careful, watch them, don’t let them lie to you,” he said.
Defending his administration’s decision to remove petrol subsidy in 2023, Tinubu argued that the policy had been associated with corruption, falsified invoices and fuel smuggling.
“What is the past is the past, fuel subsidy is in our past, no more corruption, no more falsification of invoices, no more lies, no more smuggling of fuel,” the President said.
He also told supporters that the country’s future depended on the decisions Nigerians made, urging them to give him another opportunity to lead the country.
“Your prosperity is here. Your future is in your hands, your fingerprints will reflect it,” he said.
Tinubu subsequently appealed to voters to renew his mandate, promising a better tomorrow if he is re-elected.
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“May you give me the privilege to promise you once again of a better tomorrow,” he added.
Atiku promises to restore fuel subsidy
The President’s comments come amid a political dispute over fuel subsidy, following a pledge by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to restore the policy if elected.
Tinubu’s administration has dismissed the pledge as propaganda, setting the stage for further debate over the economic implications of subsidy removal and the alternatives being proposed by opposition figures.
Fuel subsidy remains a contentious issue in Nigeria, with the removal of the policy in 2023 triggering higher petrol prices and contributing to the cost-of-living pressures faced by households and businesses.
