2027: We Can’t Return To Egypt On Fuel Subsidy, Tinubu Replies Atiku

Daud Olatunji

President Bola Tinubu has defended his administration’s removal of the petrol subsidy, declaring that Nigeria cannot return to what he described as a failed economic path amid growing political debate over the policy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Tinubu’s position appeared to be a response to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s call for the restoration of the subsidy, which has remained a contentious issue following rising transport fares, food prices and the cost of living.

The President maintained that reversing the reforms introduced by his administration would amount to taking the country backwards, insisting that Nigerians must scrutinise the economic promises of opposition politicians rather than accept what he described as impractical solutions.

Tinubu spoke on Monday at an event tagged An Evening with the Original City Boy, organised by the City Boy Movement, a pro-Tinubu political group led by his son, Seyi Tinubu.

The gathering brought together senior government officials, lawmakers, youth leaders and supporters of the President as political mobilisation intensified ahead of the 2027 general election.

Although Tinubu did not mention Atiku by name in the relevant portion of his address, his remarks came amid renewed debate over the economic consequences of the subsidy removal and whether the policy should be reversed.

The President said he had taken difficult decisions from the beginning of his administration because he believed Nigeria could no longer sustain its previous economic trajectory.

“I took difficult decisions from the first day of this administration because I believed Nigeria could not continue on its previous path. We must not allow the country to go backwards,” he said.

He challenged his political opponents to explain how their proposals would address the country’s economic difficulties, urging Nigerians to compare their promises with the government’s record.

“You will hear our political opponents making promises, but you must examine those promises carefully and ask whether they offer practical solutions to the challenges facing Nigerians,” Tinubu said.

The President’s defence of the reforms comes as households continue to grapple with the effects of higher petrol prices, transportation costs and rising food prices.

While the Federal Government has repeatedly argued that subsidy removal was necessary to improve public finances and redirect resources towards development, critics have questioned the pace of implementation and the extent to which the resulting savings have translated into relief for ordinary Nigerians.

Tinubu said his administration inherited serious economic challenges when it assumed office on May 29, 2023, including difficulties meeting the government’s financial obligations.

“When we took office, we faced serious economic challenges. We were struggling to meet some of our obligations, including payments to airlines. Almost everything in Nigeria depends on transportation. Our national carrier and the aviation sector faced difficulties,” he said.

He added, “We could not simply continue printing money as though that were a sustainable solution.”

The President acknowledged the difficulties associated with his administration’s decisions, but insisted that leadership required accepting responsibility for policies considered necessary in the national interest.

“Looking back, I have learnt important lessons from the challenges of the past. The first lesson is that leadership requires taking responsibility for the consequences of one’s decisions,” he said.

Tinubu also dismissed predictions that young Nigerians would abandon his administration because of the economic hardship associated with its reforms.

He cited the turnout of supporters at the gathering as evidence that many young people remained willing to support his political agenda.

“I remember the predictions that young people would turn their backs on our reforms. Those who made such predictions were wrong. You are here, demonstrating your faith in the promise of a better Nigeria,” he said.

Drawing parallels with the biblical and Quranic accounts of Moses and Musa, respectively, Tinubu argued that progress often required perseverance through difficult circumstances.

He urged members of the City Boy Movement to take his administration’s message to university campuses, markets, motor parks, workplaces and communities across the country.

“You must go to your campuses, your markets, your communities and your places of work. Engage every young person you know. Whether they hold a PhD or have no formal qualifications, speak to them about what we have done and what we intend to do,” he said.

“Explain our policies. Present the facts. Compare our record and our plans with those of our opponents.”

The President also highlighted education financing and youth empowerment as areas where his administration claimed to have made progress.

He disclosed that more than one million students had benefited from support through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, while the government was creating opportunities for young Nigerians to access credit to acquire equipment and other assets.

“Today, more than one million students have benefited from support through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,” he said.

Tinubu added that he had deliberately entrusted young people with responsibilities in government and intended to expand their participation in governance.

“I have entrusted young people with real responsibilities in this government, and I have watched them deliver. I intend to do even more because those who will live longest with the consequences of today’s decisions must have a role in shaping them,” he said.

He also promised to address recurring disruptions to university academic calendars caused by strikes, insisting that students should complete their programmes within the prescribed period.

“I promised to address the recurring disruption of academic calendars caused by strikes in our universities. A four-year university course should take four years. We have continued to work towards that objective,” he said.

The President commended the City Boy Movement for establishing structures across states, local government areas, wards and polling units, describing its activities as evidence of organised grassroots mobilisation.

He assured members that they would not be excluded from his campaign, government or plans for the country.

“You are not simply campaigning for me. You are campaigning for your own future,” he said.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has also defended the administration’s economic policies, arguing that Tinubu’s decision to implement structural reforms prevented Nigeria from sliding into a more severe economic crisis.

Shettima said the country was in a precarious financial position when Tinubu assumed office, citing foreign reserves of $3.9bn and liabilities associated with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Ways and Means advances.

“When the President assumed the mantle of leadership on 29 May 2023, the country, the economy was teetering on the brink of collapse. We had a paltry $3.9 billion in our foreign reserves, and a debt of over half of Ways and Means of ₦27 trillion,” he said.

The Vice-President praised Tinubu for accepting responsibility for the country’s inherited economic challenges rather than concentrating on blaming his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the President had chosen to confront the country’s financial difficulties by implementing reforms instead of postponing difficult decisions.

“The President took those far-reaching decisions. He had the courage of conviction and the knowledge to take those decisions that repositioned the Nigerian economy,” Shettima said.

He acknowledged that Nigerians had experienced difficult times but argued that the consequences would have been worse had the government failed to act.

“Yes, Nigerians have gone through some tough times, but it could have been worse,” he said.

Shettima also expressed optimism that the government would introduce further measures to address agricultural challenges and rising food prices.

“In the coming weeks, the President will come up with robust responses to agricultural challenges, and prices of foodstuff will certainly come down,” he said.

The Vice-President urged the President’s supporters to defend the administration with facts and engage political opponents on policy issues rather than resorting to personal attacks.

He described political opponents as fellow Nigerians who should not automatically be treated as enemies.

“They are not our enemies. They are our co-travellers in national rebuilding,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has challenged the City Boy Movement to go beyond political mobilisation and establish a credible system for assessing the performance of public officials.

Abbas warned that the organisation must not become a platform for praising the President without examining whether government policies and programmes were improving the lives of Nigerians.

“This must not be a celebration; it must be an audit,” he said.

The Speaker called for the documentation of government budgets, projects, implementation records and outcomes to enable citizens to assess the performance of elected and appointed officials.

“A political movement must not become a fan club. Leadership must be judged by performance, not by the number of people who celebrate the leader,” Abbas said.

He urged the movement to make information about the performance of presidents, ministers, governors, legislators, local government chairmen and political appointees accessible to Nigerians.

Abbas also recommended the use of artificial intelligence and policy analysis to improve the presentation of government information.

He stressed the need to ensure that women and persons with disabilities were adequately represented in the democratic process.

According to him, supporters must be able to demonstrate how government programmes have improved citizens’ lives instead of relying on slogans, political loyalty or displays of support.

“Carrying the President’s portrait or celebrating his leadership is not enough,” he said.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin also commended the City Boy Movement for incorporating technology and artificial intelligence into its political communication strategy.

Barau urged the group to use its digital platforms to explain Tinubu’s political philosophy, background and policy decisions to young Nigerians.

He further proposed the introduction of a question-and-answer feature that would allow users to examine the records of opposition politicians and compare their past performance in public office with their current campaign promises.

“This will enable people who engage with your technological platform to understand the issues and make informed decisions. We must ensure that Nigerians are not misled by false promises or carried away by prevailing political narratives,” he said.

The deputy Senate president also urged the movement to explain how international conflicts and geopolitical tensions could affect energy prices and the cost of living in Nigeria.

He cited the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and tensions involving Iran and the United States as examples of developments with implications for global energy markets and household expenses.

The Director-General of the City Boy Movement, Francis Shoga, said the organisation was targeting at least 10 million youth votes for Tinubu in the January 2027 presidential election.

Shoga disclosed that the movement had registered 4.6 million members on its national database and was expanding its grassroots structures across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the group was committed to mobilising young Nigerians in support of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Mr President, on behalf of the City Boy Movement, I assure Your Excellency that we are mobilising with discipline, organising with purpose, and working with determination,” he said.

“We are committed to delivering a minimum of 10 million Nigerian youth votes in January 2027 in support of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Shoga added that the movement had engaged more than 50,000 young Nigerians through its Renewed Hope Youth Tour.

He said its mobilisation activities included town hall meetings, campus engagements, house-to-house campaigns, market visits and social media outreach.

The organisation, he added, was building structures across the country’s 774 local government areas, wards and polling units.

Shoga also appealed to Tinubu to create more opportunities for qualified and competent young Nigerians to serve in government.

Similarly, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the movement was prepared to take the administration’s message to communities across the country.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria group, Ahmed Bala, said his organisation had documented more than 340 achievements of the administration across different sectors.

Bala said the group was distributing information materials in tertiary institutions and claimed it had attracted more than three million members within two weeks.

The gathering came as the ruling All Progressives Congress and allied political groups intensified preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with economic reforms, the cost of living and youth participation expected to remain major issues in the political contest.

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