Lagos, Nigeria — Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has revealed that state governors initially opposed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidy in 2023 but have since come to appreciate its benefits.
AbdulRazaq made the disclosure on Friday during a Sallah homage paid to President Tinubu at his Lagos residence by members of the NGF, led by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Speaking on the controversial policy introduced immediately after Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29, 2023, the NGF chairman recounted how governors reacted with concern when they first learned that the subsidy regime would be abolished.
According to him, the news came while he was on an official trip to China, where he received information from security chiefs that the subsidy removal was imminent and irreversible.
“I remember we were in China when I got a call from the National Security Adviser and the Director-General of the DSS informing me that the fuel subsidy would be removed and there was no going back,” AbdulRazaq said.
He explained that the development triggered panic among governors, prompting discussions on how to engage the President over the decision.
“I immediately informed my colleagues, and nobody wanted to hear it. We planned to seek an audience with the President to register our disagreement with the policy,” he recalled.
However, AbdulRazaq said their position changed after a meeting with Tinubu, during which the President outlined his vision and rationale for the reform.
“When the President invited us for dinner, we listened to his vision for the country. By the end of his speech, we could not even bring up the issue we had come to discuss,” he said.
The governor noted that state governments subsequently began preparing for possible nationwide unrest, anticipating public resistance to the policy.
“We called meetings of our various State Executive Councils because we expected serious riots. There had already been anti-government protests, but surprisingly, the riots never came,” he stated.
AbdulRazaq described the subsidy removal as a bold and courageous move that shocked many Nigerians, adding that the policy has significantly improved the financial position of several states.
“Today, we are benefiting from that policy. In Kwara State alone, we have reduced our debt profile by about 40 per cent, while some other states have completely cleared their debts,” he said.
The removal of fuel subsidy remains one of the most significant economic reforms undertaken by the Tinubu administration, generating both praise and criticism amid ongoing debates over its impact on the cost of living and public finances.
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