…Challenges critics to debate fuel subsidy removal
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA — The Director-General of the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance, also known as the Tinubu Must Stay (TMS) Movement, Marcel Ngogbehei, has said governance could suffer if President Bola Tinubu personally campaigns across all 36 states ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ngogbehei, a former coordinator of the Obidient Movement, also challenged critics of the removal of the petrol subsidy to an open debate on the policy, urging them to offer alternatives that take Nigeria’s economic realities into account.
He spoke on Tuesday in Abuja alongside the National Coordinator of the movement, Engr. Ibrahim Said Uba, during a media parley where he explained why the President might not personally attend campaign activities in every state.
“One of the greatest challenges we are having in this country is the time to govern and the time to do electioneering,” Ngogbehei said.
He argued that the early commencement of political mobilisation for subsequent elections had undermined governance, with political actors shifting attention away from delivering on their mandates.
“A president gets into office, and one year after he gets into office, they start preparing for the next election. And what suffers? Governance suffers,” he said.
According to him, Tinubu has chosen to delegate campaign responsibilities to trusted associates to enable him to concentrate on governance.
“The President has said, ‘I want to focus on governance. I want to keep an eye on the key things that I am doing. Let the people I have worked with go out there and do the work.’ And in some instances where I need to come in, I will come in. It is pure delegation,” he said.
Ngogbehei maintained that effective leadership required building strong teams and institutions rather than depending solely on the physical presence of the leader.
“Every good leader must not always be there. If you are a leader that has built resources, that built people, you should trust your people to do the job,” he said.
He added: “We don’t want to have a country where you have strong personalities and weak institutions. And that is what we are trying to build for Nigeria.”
The TMS director-general urged Nigerians to consider the implications of requiring the President to attend campaign events in every state, arguing that the time devoted to electioneering could come at the expense of governance.
“Imagine that the President says, ‘Okay, I am going to be in all the campaigns in thirty-six states of the country.’ What suffers? That is the bottom line.
“He can go round the country if he wants to go round, and he has been going round. But let us just understand with him in this particular instance,” he said.
Challenges critics to subsidy debate
On the removal of the petrol subsidy, Ngogbehei invited critics of the policy to a public discussion on the rationale behind the decision and the alternatives available to the government.
He said participants should examine the challenges the policy was intended to address and assess whether alternative approaches could deliver better outcomes.
“We are telling the person, let us sit down and let us x-ray these things.
“You need to first of all show us that you understand the problem and then, if you were there, what would you do differently, putting into consideration all the complexities of Nigeria?” he asked.
Ngogbehei said the invitation was open to individuals and groups, regardless of their political affiliations.
“We are open to have this discussion with anyone, anytime, any day. Let us just be open, let us be transparent, let us be factual. It is our country. We cannot run it by propaganda. We cannot run it by lies,” he said.
Borrowing would have worsened situation — Uba
In his remarks, Uba warned that continued borrowing to sustain the subsidy regime could have exposed the country to more severe fiscal difficulties.
He said Nigerians had been warned that maintaining the policy could eventually undermine the government’s ability to meet obligations, including the payment of salaries.
Uba described the subsidy removal as a bold decision, while acknowledging that it had imposed short-term hardship on Nigerians.
“You might not like him, but he has made a bold and courageous move for the betterment of this country. Do those moves have immediate, short-term impact? Yes,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to consider whether the country should bear the economic adjustment costs in the present or leave a potentially heavier burden for future generations.
“Is it going to happen in our generation, or does it happen in our children’s generation when it would have been worse?” he asked.
Uba said the movement wanted a balanced assessment of the economic situation inherited by the Tinubu administration, the policies introduced and their potential long-term implications.
“The Tinubu Must Stay movement is saying, come, let us have a sincere, honest, transparent, and factual analysis of what he met, what he has done, the short-term impact, and what the possible long-term implications are for the country,” he said.
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