Presdient and Ex-president Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria
Tinubu would not have emerged had Buhari removed fuel subsidy. Garba Shehu, a Senior Special Assistant to the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, claimed on Monday that if Buhari had abolished the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, the incumbent President, Bola Tinubu, would have lost his presidential run.
Shehu noted that tensions were high and Buhari did not want to add “fuel to the fire” in a statement titled, “Why did it take the new Tinubu/Shettima presidency weeks to remove the petrol subsidy when Buhari did not do so for years,” which was posted via his official Twitter handle @garbashehu.
Shehu went on to say that the All Progressives Congress had an election to win, and that Buhari could not have eliminated the subsidy in the final days of his administration after removing other forms of subsidies such as diesel subsidies and hajj/Christian pilgrim subsidies, among others.
“So far, I have refrained from answering these repeated questions on the removal in Nigeria of subsidies on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and that arising from the dual rates of the Naira in the Central Bank and the parallel market: Why did Buhari “fail” to do these?” Shehu says in part.
“First and foremost, I believe that instead of the former President answering this question, the Party, the All Progressives Congress, is best suited to speak, and if they do not, we are forced to say what follows.”
Second, we are aware that a Tinubu/Shettima presidency is now in existence, and that there is a “New Sheriff in Town.”
“We don’t want to divert their attention away from the difficult tasks that face them and the nation.” It is also not our intention to detract from them in any manner.
“The Tinubu/Shettima administration has done overwhelmingly well in terms of the timing of decisions to remove fuel subsidies and unify the currency.” More significantly, they have been extremely adept at controlling the fallout from the decisions, thereby avoiding any crisis.
“The decision to remove subsidies, as in our case – and we believe in all cases – was not for the President to make alone.” That is why we must remind ourselves – and all those who have conveniently forgotten – that the Buhari administration has been on this route since its inception in 2015.
“Removing Naira and PMS subsidies was scheduled and put on hold.” Consider the Petroleum Industry Act, for example. The key judgment was postponed for a later date. It couldn’t have happened at a worse period in the country, when no respectable leader would have given fuel to the fire.
“In the opinion of many, including those in security circles, only a new administration with a warehouse full of goodwill can attempt this, and here comes the wit and grit of the Tinubu administration.”
“Finally, we must be politically truthful with ourselves.” The Buhari administration could not have gone all the way in its final days because the APC needed to win an election.
“And that would have been the case for any political party seeking re-election with a new principal at the helm.”
“Poll after poll showed that if the decision envisioned by the new Petroleum Industry Act had been made, the party would have been thrown out of office.”
With the election behind us, a capable leader like the one we now have is best positioned to move on. We have every faith that, in the context of these momentous economic and financial decisions, the new administration will lead the country and all of its citizens to a more stable future.”