Rotimi Amaechi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice‑presidential candidate and former Minister of Transportation and Rivers State governor, criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the nation’s fuel subsidy, saying the policy has deepened hardship for Nigerians. Amaechi made the remarks on Saturday at a town‑hall meeting in Calabar.
He argued that the government should have consulted economists, political scientists and other stakeholders before implementing the subsidy removal and that “adequate measures should have been introduced to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on Nigerians.” The former minister said policy courage must be balanced with careful planning and consideration of the consequences for citizens.
Amaechi illustrated his point with an analogy of a moving train, warning that bold decisions can carry risks without proper preparation. He questioned whether sufficient attention had been paid to the welfare of Nigerians and suggested that political considerations tied to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election may have influenced the policy.
According to Amaechi, the removal of the subsidy has “significantly increased transportation costs and other essential expenses across the country,” contributing to a rising cost of living. He called on the administration to introduce measures that would ease the economic pressure on households.
The ADC chieftain said he is ready to debate members of the administration’s economic team on the policy and possible solutions. He added that the opposition will challenge the ruling party through democratic and constitutional processes ahead of the next election, stating, “The opposition intends to pursue the electoral process without resorting to post‑election litigation, and we are confident in our approach.”
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
