…Says Buhari, not Tinubu, removed subsidy
The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has vowed to reinstate fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027, arguing that the policy itself was not inherently bad but was sabotaged by corruption and mismanagement.
Kachikwu, who made the declaration in an interview with Vanguard, insisted that poor Nigerians should not be made to bear the brunt of government inefficiencies.
“Subsidy is not a bad policy. It was abused by a few individuals. The right thing to do was to prosecute those who looted the system and bring sanity into it, not to punish ordinary Nigerians by removing it,” he said.
The media entrepreneur faulted widespread claims that President Bola Tinubu removed the subsidy on his inauguration day, clarifying that the subsidy regime had already been scrapped under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Let us be clear, President Tinubu didn’t remove fuel subsidy. Buhari’s government failed to make provisions for it in the budget. What Tinubu did was merely to announce what was already on ground. Unfortunately, many Nigerians believe he personally removed it,” Kachikwu explained.
He stressed that if given the mandate in 2027, his administration would reintroduce the subsidy with strict measures to curb abuse and ensure it benefits the masses.
Kachikwu, who ran unsuccessfully in 2023, said his position reflects the need for leadership that prioritises the welfare of citizens rather than bowing to international pressure on economic reforms.
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