Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed that he was among those who urged former President Muhammadu Buhari to remove Nigeria’s fuel subsidy while his administration was in office, but the former president rejected the proposal.
Amaechi said Buhari was reluctant to abolish the subsidy abruptly because he believed such a decision could have serious consequences for Nigerians, insisting that the policy required a more carefully considered approach.
He made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, while discussing the fuel subsidy debate and the economic decisions taken by successive administrations.
The former Minister of Transportation explained that although he personally supported removing the subsidy at the time, Buhari stood his ground and refused to implement an immediate withdrawal.
According to Amaechi, the former president had clearly communicated his position that an abrupt removal was wrong, a decision the ADC chieftain said he was grateful was taken.
His comments provide insight into the differences in opinion within the Buhari administration over how to address the country’s longstanding fuel subsidy burden, which became a major issue in the lead-up to the 2023 general elections.
Amaechi also used the discussion to distinguish Buhari’s approach from President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy shortly after assuming office in May 2023. He maintained that while subsidy reform was necessary, the manner in which it was eventually implemented under the current administration was wrong.
The ADC vice-presidential candidate said he had been among those advocating for the policy change during Buhari’s tenure, but the former president remained unconvinced about removing it outright.
Recounting the disagreement, Amaechi said, “Buhari refused to remove the subsidy outright because he told us clearly and I thank God he didn’t, that doing so abruptly was wrong. I was actually among those pushing him back then to remove the subsidy, but he said no.”
COURTESY: Jindupolitics
