Ondo APC group warns against fuel subsidy reversal
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Chairman of the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum, Chief Demola Ijabiyi, has warned that any attempt to restore fuel subsidy could undermine infrastructure development and disrupt ongoing economic reforms in Nigeria.
Ijabiyi gave the warning on Wednesday while speaking at the quarterly meeting of the forum in Akure, Ondo State, where he urged Nigerians to remain patient with the reforms being implemented by the Federal Government.
He said the removal of the subsidy had increased government revenue and enabled federal and state governments to fund critical infrastructure, including major road projects linking Ondo State with neighbouring states.
“Bring back the subsidy and there will be a paucity of funds. Many of these projects will suffer, and we do not want that,” the APC chieftain said.
Ijabiyi also argued that the removal of the subsidy had improved petrol availability, noting that persistent fuel queues, black-market activities and disruptions associated with scarcity had largely disappeared.
He attributed fluctuations in petrol prices to developments in the international crude oil market, including geopolitical tensions affecting global supply routes, rather than solely to domestic policies.
The APC chieftain further alleged that subsidised petrol was previously smuggled across Nigeria’s borders, effectively making the country bear the cost of fuel consumption in neighbouring countries. He therefore warned that restoring the subsidy would place an unsustainable burden on government finances.
On party matters, Ijabiyi called on APC members in Ondo State to resolve their differences and unite behind President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election. He congratulated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on his appointment as the president’s campaign coordinator in the state and urged party leaders to embrace reconciliation, while describing Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as an asset whose popularity should be harnessed to strengthen the party.
