Femi Adesina, spokesperson to former President Muhammadu Buhari, said his principal did not remove petrol subsidy because he cared about its implications on “ordinary” Nigerians.

 

In a tribute to commemorate Buhari’s 82nd birthday on Tuesday, Adesina said the decisions of the former president were based on his love for “poor and underprivileged” Nigerians.

 

Adesina said the Buhari-led administration knew that that the country is spending huge resources on petrol subsidy.

 

The former presidential spokesperson described Buhari as “ore mekunu”, a Yoruba phrase that means friend of the poor.

 

Adesina said during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Buhari told Zainab Ahmed, a former minister of finance, to ensure timely payment of workers’ salaries and pensions.

 

He added that Buhari understood the challenges workers faced during the pandemic and was determined to avoid the additional burden of unpaid salaries.

 

“The Big Elephant in the room. Removal of fuel subsidy. Did you think the Government didn’t know that the money guzzling monster had to be slain? It knew,” Adesina wrote.

 

“But who ensured that subsidies remained as long as it did? Buhari. And why? The people, the ordinary people. His argument was always simple:

 

“When oil sold for at least 100 dollars per barrel in the international market, rising even to as high as 140 dollars per barrel, what did the ordinary people gain? Nothing! So why should they be the ones to bear the brunt when oil prices fall?”

 

“By the time the administration ended, all, including the three main presidential candidates, were resolved that oil subsidies had to be removed.

 

“It was not unlikely that President Buhari shared the same conviction. But something that would throw society into a tailspin? He didn’t want to do it—for the sake of the ordinary people.

 

“Ordinary people gravitate towards Buhari, like bees to the honeycomb. That was why he always had a basket of millions of waiting votes, even before the first ballot was cast.

 

“He clobbered the ruling People’s Democratic Party in 2015, and won with even larger votes in 2019, despite all attempts to denigrate and demarket him. When you love the ordinary people, they love you in return, and stand with you through thick and thin.

 

“Now almost two years into retirement, get to Buhari’s house today. And you see the people milling around, just wanting to get a glimpse of the man.

 

“As he turns 82 December 17, 2024, I salute the Ore Mekunu, a friend of the poor, who still draws the people like magnet, even in retirement.”

 

THE PETROL SUBSIDY ISSUE

 

Buhari was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on May 29, 2015 and handed over to President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023.

 

In August 2022, the Buhari-led administration said the federal government will halt the costly petrol subsidy in June 2023.

 

Ahmed, former minister of finance, budget and national planning, said the 2023 budget only made provision for petrol subsidy payments from January to June 2023.

 

During his inauguration, Tinubu announced that the payment of petrol subsidy had stopped — a move that led to sudden hike in the price of the product as well as goods and services in the country.