Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has defended President Bola Tinubu's decision to remove petrol subsidies, arguing that successive administrations acknowledged the policy was a scam but never had the political will to dismantle it. Speaking at a political stakeholders' forum in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike said every previous president had recognised the subsidy as wasteful but none possessed the determination to end it. Tinubu announced the subsidy removal on his inauguration day on May 29, 2023.
Wike acknowledged that the policy had driven up the cost of living for Nigerians but expressed confidence that prices would fall as the government's broader economic reforms took effect and stabilised. He framed the subsidy removal as a necessary sacrifice that would eventually benefit citizens. The minister, who coordinates Tinubu's campaign efforts in the FCT, urged Nigerians to support the administration's re-election bid in the 2027 general elections.
Beyond the fuel subsidy, Wike defended the administration's wider economic record. He claimed that state governors no longer needed to take loans from banks, though he provided no supporting data. He also said Nigerian public universities had not experienced strikes during Tinubu's three years in office, citing this as evidence of progress on governance.
Wike stopped short of claiming the administration had solved all of Nigeria's problems. He said the government had made progress on several issues but acknowledged that challenges remained unresolved. The minister also appealed to members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the FCT to support Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress candidates in 2027, pointing to a PDP area council chairman who he said was already campaigning for the President's re-election.
For Nigerian households and businesses, this means the government remains committed to maintaining the subsidy removal despite its impact on living costs, banking on economic reforms eventually delivering relief rather than reversing course. Wike's defence of the policy signals the administration will not backtrack on the decision before the 2027 elections.