Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration refrained from removing the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as fuel, due to the potential negative consequences that could have affected the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election held on February 25.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that this revelation was made by Buhari’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a Twitter post titled “Buhari Didn’t Fail To Remove Subsidy.”
He said, “We must be politically honest with ourselves. The Buhari administration in its last days could not have gone the whole way because the APC had an election to win. And that would have been the case with any political party that was seeking election for another term with a new principal at its head.
“Poll after polls showed that the party would have been thrown out of office if the decision as envisaged by the new Petroleum Industry Act was made.”
According to Shehu, the removal of subsidies on the Naira and PMS was deferred in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act, and the decision was postponed for a more suitable time.
He explained that when Buhari assumed office in May 2015, the country was burdened with numerous subsidies that had a significant impact on the national budget. However, the administration gradually phased out many of these subsidies before handing over power to the subsequent administration.
Shehu questioned why the new Tinubu/Shettima presidency took weeks to remove the petrol subsidy if Buhari had failed to do so in years. He highlighted various subsidies that were eliminated during Buhari’s tenure, including the massive electricity subsidy, fraudulent fertilizer subsidy, Hajj/Christian Pilgrim subsidies, diesel subsidy, aviation fuel subsidy, LPFO subsidy, kerosene subsidy, cooking gas subsidy, and other subsidy policies.
The former presidential media adviser emphasised that although Buhari did not remove the petrol subsidy, he eliminated other subsidies along the way that were detrimental to the budget and hindered economic growth.
Shehu also expressed their reluctance to respond to repeated questions about the removal of subsidies on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and the dual rates of the Naira in the Central Bank and the parallel market.
“First of all, my thinking is that instead of the former President answering this question, it is the party, the All Progressives Congress, APC that is best suited to speak and failing to do this, we are forced to say what will follow here.
“That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves – and all those who have conveniently forgotten – that Buhari administration had been on this pathway from the very beginning in 2015.
“Removing subsidies for the Naira and PMS was cued and put on hold. Look for example in the Petroleum Industry Act. The important decision was kept for a better time.
“It could not have come at a time when tensions were high in the country and no responsible leader would have added fuel to the fire.”
He added, “In the view of many-including those in the security circles- only a new administration with a goodwill that fills a warehouse can attempt this, and here now comes in the wit and grit of the Tinubu government.
