Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal on fuel subsidy as a political strategy, comparing it to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 election.
Fayemi, a former Minister of Solid Minerals Development, made the comment during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday while discussing the ongoing debate over fuel subsidy and Atiku’s position on the policy.
“My take on that is that Atiku’s proposal of subsidy is politically equivalent to our own Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023. It’s a political strategy. It’s not an economic construct,” Fayemi said.
He, however, acknowledged that the proposal could resonate with Nigerians struggling with the economic consequences of petrol subsidy removal.
“But understandably, it’s a political strategy that will sell with those who are hard done by the impact of fuel subsidy removal,” he added.
Fayemi Defends Subsidy Removal
Fayemi reiterated his support for the removal of fuel subsidy, saying he had advocated the policy for several years, including during his tenure as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
“I was and I remain an advocate of fuel subsidy removal. As chairman of the governors’ forum, I spent four years in this battle,” he said.
According to the former governor, President Bola Tinubu inherited significant groundwork on subsidy removal from the previous administration, although he criticised the manner in which the policy was eventually implemented.
“What President Tinubu inherited, in fairness to him, was the work that had already been completed by that administration. The only challenge I had with it was the way it was done,” Fayemi said.
He explained that state governors had previously worked with the Federal Government and the World Bank to develop a safety-net programme designed to cushion vulnerable Nigerians from the impact of subsidy removal.
‘Vulnerable Nigerians Are Still Suffering’
Fayemi said the continued hardship faced by vulnerable Nigerians was what he believed Atiku was seeking to exploit politically with his subsidy proposal.
“I believe that’s what Vice President Atiku is taking advantage of. The vulnerable segment of the population is still hard done by,” he said.
He noted that many Nigerians were less interested in technical debates about subsidy policy than in their ability to meet basic needs.
According to Fayemi, Nigerians want to “live reasonably well, eke out a living, have one or two meals a day, be able to send their kids to school” and avoid falling deeper into hardship because of illness or other difficulties.
He also linked poverty and inequality to Nigeria’s security challenges, arguing that they contribute to the insurgency and banditry confronting the country.
Fayemi maintained that Atiku’s proposal should therefore be viewed within the context of the 2027 general election, describing it as an electoral strategy aimed at tapping into public dissatisfaction over the consequences of subsidy removal.
He again compared the strategy with the APC’s decision to field a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 election.
