‘I mobilised Ogun residents against Obasanjo’s fuel subsidy removal’ – Oshiomhole

Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has recalled how he mobilised residents of Ogun State to protest the removal of petrol subsidy by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Oshiomhole shared the experience on Sunday while speaking at the seventh national discourse organised by The Companion, an association of Muslim men in business and the professions, held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The former Edo State governor reflected on the events surrounding the subsidy removal and his involvement in the protests against the policy.

The programme, themed ‘Nigeria’s Political Landscape and The Ethno-Religious Divides’, was chaired by Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano, with Obafemi Hazmat, deputy governor of Lagos, as special guest of honour.

Obasanjo served as president of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, during which Oshiomhole was president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

In June 2020, Atiku Abubakar, who was vice-president to Obasanjo at the time, said he was the one assigned to negotiate with the NLC chairman, but his efforts were frustrated.

During the conference, Oshiomhole recalled how he visited Abeokuta and got people including Afolabi Salisu, chairman of senate committee on ICT and cyber security, to canvass against petrol subsidy removal under Obasanjo

Oshiomhole said he rejected the removal because he believed the Obasanjo’s administration at the time lacked the enabling capacity to distribute the subsidy gains equitably to all Nigerians.

“All I tried to do when I was NLC President, for example, was to go to Abeokuta and say to Abeokuta people… this subsidy Baba want to take, he can take it, but he cannot return it to the poor because they claim it is wasteful they will take it and do something for the poor,” Oshiomhole said.

“All I tried to do when I was NLC President, for example, was to go to Abeokuta and say to Abeokuta people, ‘This subsidy Baba wants to take, he can take it, but he cannot return it to the poor because they claim it is wasteful. They will take it and do something for the poor.’” Oshiomhole said.

“He has the capacity to take, but he doesn’t have the enabling capacity to distribute it because certain infrastructure you need for such distribution are absent.

“To prove [this to] the people, I got Ogun people, including Afolabi, to go on strike against Obasanjo. When we organised those protests, even the University of Lagos (UNILAG) workers and the students joined us. Only the vice-chancellor and the HODs pretended to be neutral, but in private, they agreed that if the battles succeed, they too will benefit for four years.”

He said some of the people who opposed his move at the time have in recent times decried the high cost of petrol, but he told them the struggle is over.

“Now, everybody is saying, ‘I can’t pay N100,000 for one litre, how much is my salary. I have seen those who used to lecture me about wastage, diversion, better deployment of resources, I have seen them now speaking my language. But I told, no, we’ve moved on, forward ever, backward never,” the senator said.

‘NOTHING LIKE ETHNIC RIGHTS’

Speaking on the theme of the conference, Oshiomhole said ethnicity should have no place in a democracy, arguing that poor Nigerians across the country face the same challenges.

“In rejecting feudal rulership and opting for democracy, ethnicity should have no place, because the poor man from the west, north and south all have the same federal character. And there is no difference between the hunger in the Yoruba man’s stomach and that of the one in Urhobo or in Auchi,” he said.

“In my view, there is no such thing as ethnic right because within every ethnic group, you have the oppressor and the oppressed. You have the good, the bad and the ugly. And you also have people of diverse religions. It is so in the north and south.”

Oshiomhole noted that democracy is expected to amplify the rights and privileges of an individual, not of an ethnic group.

“But ethnic champions and religious elites manipulate ethnic privileges to provide a false basis for electioneering and means to acquire power,” he said.

“My summary is this: we own Nigeria. The challenge we have now is how to demystify the ethnic thing, remove that shield, let everybody bear his father’s name. Let’s compete for power not on the basis of where you come but on the basis of the ideas and values you bring. That way, we will build a united country.”

The senator’s remarks came amid growing public debate over the impact of the petrol subsidy removal since the beginning of the current administration.

Opposition presidential candidates, including Atiku of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi, have in recent weeks criticised the current administration over the poor utilisation of the subsidy gains.

On Monday, Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), reiterated his support for the subsidy removal, arguing that the mismanagement of its proceeds isn’t enough reasons to bring back the policy.

Also, Atiku, who had reportedly vowed to remove the subsidy if elected president in the build-up to the 2023 election, however, made a U-turn last Wednesday.

Speaking during an interview with an ADC media group, Atiku said he would restore the petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has failed to account for the funds saved from the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Reacting, Tinubu said Atiku’s proposal showed “serious ignorance of governance and economy”, noting that before he assumed office, some states struggled to pay salaries and pensions.

The controversy followed a disclosure by Taiwo Oyedele, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, that the removal of the petrol subsidy mobilised N15.8 trillion in resources for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

Follow Very Nigerian WhatsApp Channel
For Verified Breaking News, Exclusive Reports, Trending Stories, And Real-time Updates.
CLICk HERE TO JOIN!