Spokesman for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), Dele Alake, has applauded President Bola Tinubu for demonstrating courage in tackling Nigeria’s economic challenges and prioritising national interest over personal political ambition.

Mr Alake,‌ the solid minerals development minister, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the unveiling of the party’s 2027 manifesto, ‘From Reforms to Prosperity’.

He said Mr Tinubu prioritised national interest over personal political ambition in implementing difficult economic reforms which past administrations could not.

This, he said, was particularly through the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of the foreign exchange market, despite the potential political consequences of the policies. 

He said removing the fuel subsidy and reforming the foreign exchange market required courage and determination, given the entrenched interests that benefitted from the previous arrangements.

“Fuel subsidy had been one of the pillars of Nigeria before 2023. He removed it; removing fuel subsidy might superficially look simple to everyone, but it is not,” Mr Alake said.

He alleged that powerful interests had exploited the fuel subsidy regime through smuggling, fraudulent claims and other illicit practices, adding that those benefitting from the system were resisting the federal government’s decision to remove it.

The spokesman noted that in the blink of an eye, such people would become billionaires while sitting in their backyards, making no contribution to production in the economy to shore up the naira, adding that the result was a free fall.

“Tinubu looked that problem in the face, confronted it and normalised the situation,” Mr Alake said, adding that rather than worrying that the pains and challenges his reforms and policies might cause Nigerians could affect his political aspirations, Mr Tinubu went ahead and implemented them because of their long-term benefits.

This, he said, was because the president put the nation first, before his own political desires.

(NAN)