The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has challenged President Bola Tinubu’s decision to eliminate the gasoline subsidy, claiming that the policy contributed to what he called a “total mess” in Nigeria’s economy.

In an interview with ARISE Television, Kwankwaso said that the elimination of the subsidy on the first day of Tinubu’s administration was an error.

He claims that the government eliminated the subsidy without implementing sufficient safeguards to shield Nigerians from the immediate financial effects.

The former governor of Kano State claimed that the policy’s effects were still having an impact on Nigerians and had grown to be a significant topic in the political discourse leading up to the 2027 elections. Additionally, he stated that an NDC government will implement policies to lower gas costs and reinstate the fuel subsidy “in our own way.”

“Bola Tinubu decided to remove the subsidy and the consequences we thought would happen certainly happened.

“He removed it immediately.without looking at all the possible issues. That is how we found ourselves in this total mess economically,” he said

At his inauguration in Eagle Square, Abuja, on May 29, 2023, Tinubu declared the end of the petrol subsidy. He claimed in his inauguration speech that the subsidy system had grown more expensive and that funds will now be used for infrastructure, healthcare, education, and job development.