Mr Rotimi Amaechi, vice presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of fuel subsidy removal, citing its impact on Nigerians.
Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation and Rivers governor, spoke on Saturday at a town hall meeting in Calabar.
He said the government should have consulted economists, political scientists and other stakeholders before implementing the policy.
The former minister argued that adequate measures should have been introduced to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on Nigerians.
According to him, courage in policymaking must be balanced with careful planning and consideration of the consequences for citizens.
Amaechi illustrated his argument with an analogy involving a moving train, warning that bold decisions could carry risks without proper preparation.
He said the administration’s approach raised questions about whether sufficient attention had been paid to the welfare of Nigerians.
The ADC chieftain also suggested that political considerations might have influenced the policy, linking the administration’s approach to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
He noted that subsidy removal had significantly increased transportation costs and other essential expenses across the country.
Amaechi questioned the government’s response to the rising cost of living, stressing the need for measures to ease economic pressure on households.
He also expressed readiness to debate members of the administration’s economic team on the policy and possible solutions to its consequences.
The former minister said the opposition would challenge the ruling party through democratic and constitutional processes ahead of the next election.
“The opposition intends to pursue the electoral process without resorting to post-election litigation, and we are confident in our approach,” he said.
