Chrys
An aide of Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate
of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Daniel Bwala, has accused the All
Progressives Congress, APC, of setting up landmines for the President-elect,
Bola Tinubu.
Bwala spoke in reaction to the controversy over the planned
removal of fuel subsidy by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal
Government.
Bwala recalled how APC promised to remove fuel subsidy
within 18 months but had failed to do so.
In a tweet, Bwala wrote: “You remember when All Promise
Cancelled (APC) promised to remove fuel subsidy before the dateline as provided
by the PIA?
“Well, June 1st will make it 18 months max limit, but
yesterday they decided to abandon it, thereby setting up a landmine for the
President-select.”
Recall that the National Economic Council, NEC, had
deliberated on the issue extensively and concluded that it would not be wise to
remove subsidy while the new administration is trying to settle down.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Ahmed
Zaniab, said the Federal Government would interface with relevant stakeholders
like the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and other petroleum marketers.
She said the existing committee that has been discussing the
fuel subsidy issue needed to be expanded to enable more input from concerned
Nigerians.
In 2012, former president Goodluck Jonathan’s bold attempt
to do away with subsidies sparked widespread protests nationwide.
Many Nigerians argued that the policy would increase the
cost of living and hardship for ordinary citizens.
Labour unions, civil society organisations, and opposition
political parties, including the then opposition – the All Progressives
Congress, APC – led the protests.
However, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had
announced that the subsidy policy would end by June when the budget for the
initiative would expire.
The timeline coincides with the end of Buhari’s second term
as the president, the maximum allowed by the constitution.
