Tinubu Deliberately Kept Fuel Subsidy Removal Secret, Says Shettim
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deliberately concealed his decision to remove fuel subsidy before taking office, keeping it out of his inaugural speech to prevent attempts to dissuade him from implementing the policy.
Shettima made the disclosure on Friday during a courtesy visit by governors to the President at his Lagos residence as part of activities marking Eid el Kabir and the third anniversary of the administration.
According to the Vice President, Tinubu had already made up his mind to end the subsidy regime before assuming office but chose not to publicly disclose the decision in advance.
“Your Excellency, the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, you kept it a top secret; it wasn’t part of your speech,” Shettima said.
“It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. You had made that decision and kept it close to your heart because you believed if you had incorporated it into your speech, some people would try to persuade you not to do so.”
Shettima described the move as a demonstration of courage and decisive leadership, saying the President chose to confront long standing economic challenges rather than postpone difficult decisions.
Defending the administration’s economic reforms, the Vice President said Tinubu inherited a nation facing deep structural problems that required bold intervention.
According to him, the President resisted the temptation to delay difficult reforms and instead opted to tackle what he described as longstanding contradictions that had hindered Nigeria’s progress for decades.
“You inherited a nation standing before difficult questions, a nation trapped between the comfort of old illusions and the necessity of a new beginning,” Shettima said.
“You chose not to postpone the surgery. You chose not to massage the wound. You chose to confront the contradictions that have held this country hostage for 50 years.”
The Vice President further described governance under the current administration as a difficult but necessary process aimed at rebuilding the country’s economic foundations for future generations.
The disclosure comes amid continued debate over the removal of fuel subsidy, one of the most significant and controversial economic decisions taken by the Tinubu administration since assuming office in May 2023.
President Tinubu has consistently defended the policy, arguing that subsidy payments had become unsustainable and posed a major threat to Nigeria’s fiscal stability.
Also speaking during the gathering, Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, reportedly praised the President’s performance, stating that governors had given the administration a 100 percent score for stabilising the country and steering it away from economic collapse.
Source: Remarks by Vice President Kashim Shettima during a governors’ visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos, May 30, 2026.
