By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has revealed how powerful beneficiaries of Nigeria’s fuel subsidies ganged up against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, making governance nearly impossible in its early months.
Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central in the Senate, described the intense battle Tinubu faced, accusing economic predators of undermining his leadership simply because he dismantled the corrupt subsidy regime.
In a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele did not mince words about the forces that resisted the administration’s reform agenda.
“I am convinced that the president did the right thing by removing the fuel subsidy, for which the 9th National Assembly made provision till May 2023. But the people that made governance difficult for President Tinubu were those benefiting from fuel subsidies.
“It was not common men and women of this country who were benefiting from the fuel subsidy. It was not. It was members of the cabal who had access to the fuel subsidy. They are the ones taking away this privilege all in the name and on behalf of masses. And the masses did not benefit from it.”
Bamidele exposed the hidden forces that had long exploited Nigeria’s resources, insisting that Tinubu’s hands were tied as the 9th National Assembly had already halted fuel subsidy provisions beyond May 2023.
“He did not say he was going to remove the fuel subsidy. He simply said fuel subsidy was gone simply because the National Assembly only made provision for it till May 2023. Even if he did not say it, the fuel subsidy would have gone in two days after his inauguration.”
The Senate Leader warned that retaining the subsidy would have driven Nigeria into a catastrophic economic meltdown, crippling federal and sub-national finances.
“Running an economy indeed calls for strategic response. The strategic steps being taken are not something that will yield a positive outcome within 24 hours. If subsidy had not been removed, our economy would have been in shambles or flat on the floor.”
Bamidele further assured Nigerians that the 2025 Appropriation Act would be a game-changer, tackling deep-seated national challenges and boosting economic stability at both federal and state levels.
“What is the focus of the 2025 budget being passed? Does it address the welfare of the people? Does it prioritise the critical sectors of the economy, including education? What is the scale of attention being paid to health and social welfare? What is the percentage of the budget going to agriculture?”
Defending the administration’s economic direction, he stressed that the government is shifting away from wasteful spending by allocating more funds to capital projects rather than recurrent expenses.
On fears of job losses, Bamidele declared that the Federal Government would not retrench workers, regardless of the economic pressures.
“Retrenching workers is not an option before this administration because it will cause more problems. Look at our situation. We are confronted with grave security challenges that nearly eroded the gains of the administration, especially in agriculture. This is mainly because people could no longer go to farms. It was quite a bad situation, but we are gradually coming out of it.”
Despite acknowledging ongoing hardships, he expressed optimism that Nigeria’s security and economic conditions were steadily improving.
“While it is not yet Uhuru, the security situation is fast improving across the federation today. Some of the IDPs are gradually relocating to their base. Farmers are also steadily returning to their farms. Altogether, things are improving. I am sure that things will be different very soon.”
With economic reforms in motion and renewed focus on national development, Bamidele urged Nigerians to brace for transformation, as Tinubu’s vision unfolds in the months ahead.
