Former spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has criticized the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the Naira, stating that these policies have brought Nigeria to its knees.
Speaking on *Channels Television’s The Morning Brief* on Monday, Ologbondiyan argued that President Bola Tinubu should have adopted a phased removal of the petrol subsidy while implementing meaningful palliatives, such as reducing public transportation fares, rather than focusing on distributing subsidized rice.
His remarks follow a weekend meeting of PDP governors, during which they urged President Tinubu to reform the economy.
“Personally, as Kola Ologbondiyan, I align with the principles of the party’s founding fathers,” he said. “For instance, on the issue of subsidy removal—what has crippled Nigeria are these two major decisions by President Tinubu: the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira.
“Under previous PDP administrations, subsidy removal was phased and accompanied by palliatives. Today, the APC government is telling Nigerians to buy rice at N40,000 per bag, but the needs of Nigerians extend far beyond rice. A better approach would be to establish a functional public transportation system, so citizens wouldn’t need to depend on driving their vehicles at exorbitant costs.
“Unfortunately, even as the PDP, we seem to be paying lip service to engaging the current administration and offering viable alternatives,” Ologbondiyan added.
The removal of petrol subsidies has led to a significant increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which rose from an average of N189 per litre in May 2023, when President Tinubu assumed office, to over N1,000 per litre in recent months, according to Daily Post.
