How Tinubu plunged Nigeria into total economic mess – Kwankwaso

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the presidential running mate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy, saying the policy contributed to what he described as a “total mess” in Nigeria’s economy.

Kwankwaso made the remarks during an interview with ARISE Television, where he described the removal of the subsidy on the first day of Tinubu’s administration as a mistake.

According to him, the government removed the subsidy without putting adequate cushioning measures in place to protect Nigerians from the immediate economic impact.

The former Kano State governor said the consequences of the policy continued to affect Nigerians and had become a major issue in the political debate ahead of the 2027 elections. He also said an NDC government would restore the fuel subsidy “in our own way” and take measures aimed at reducing petrol prices.

“Bola Tinubu decided to remove the subsidy and the consequences we thought would happen certainly happened.

“He removed it immediately.without looking at all the possible issues. That is how we found ourselves in this total mess economically,” he said

Tinubu announced the end of the petrol subsidy during his May 29, 2023 inauguration at Eagle Square, Abuja. In his inaugural address, he said the subsidy regime had become increasingly costly and that resources would instead be redirected towards infrastructure, education, healthcare and job creation.