Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that former President Muhammadu Buhari Refused to remove subsidy because he felt it was wrong.
Naija News reports that Amaechi spoke on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Amaechi acknowledged that he had previously supported calls for Buhari to remove the subsidy but said the former president had resisted the move.
“We (the ADC) have said we will re-introduce fuel subsidy because the fuel subsidy he removed was wrong, Buhari refused to remove fuel subsidy because he told us clearly. In fact, thank God he didn’t, I was among those pushing that he should remove fuel subsidy, he said no, it was wrong,” he said.
He said ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar had proposed a production-based subsidy arrangement under which government support would be restricted to fuel produced in Nigeria.
“Atiku has come up with a better procedure to manage fuel subsidy. We are reintroducing production fuel subsidy. If you don’t produce in Nigeria, we will not give you subsidy. It encourages the establishment of refineries,” he added.
Speaking further, he stated that Nigerians now appreciate the regime of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He urged Nigerians to compare their economic circumstances under both governments.
He cited the exchange rate, petrol prices and allegations of corruption, arguing that Nigerians faced less economic hardship before the APC government introduced its current policies.
“I always like to quote the former president, Buhari. He will say, ‘People will call me back.’ Nigerians will say, ‘We miss former President Buhari’; are they not saying that now.
“The reason why they are saying that is: compare your life when President Buhari was alive and was the president of Nigeria, and your life now; which one will you choose?” Amaechi said.
The former Rivers State governor claimed that the exchange rate stood at about ₦600 to the dollar and petrol sold for less than ₦300 per litre when Buhari left office in May 2023.
He also questioned the scale of corruption under the Tinubu administration, comparing it with allegations of financial misconduct during Buhari’s eight-year tenure.
“By the time we left office, dollar was at 600, by the time we left office, fuel was below 300, the stealing in Buhari’s government, if there was stealing in Buhari’s government, can you compare it to what is going on now?
“What is going on now is what I call ‘Alibaba and the 40 thieves’.” he said.
