Obi: Removing Petrol Subsidy Suddenly Is Like Forceful Removal Of Tooth

Despite his support for the subsidy, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi argues the current administration’s elimination of it was a “forceful” attempt.

Obi talked to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday while attending an electoral petition tribunal session. The termination of the petrol subsidy followed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that the petrol subsidy regime was finished.

Following Tinubu’s remarks, massive lineups at filling stations resumed in various parts of Nigeria due to panic-buying.

Following that, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited announced an increase in the price of gasoline throughout its retail locations, sparking multiple protests.

Following that, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited announced an increase in the price of gasoline throughout its retail locations, sparking multiple protests.

“If you have followed me very well right from the time I was a member of Jonathan’s economic management team, I consistently maintained that subsidy should be removed because I see it as organized crime,” the LP candidate said.

“People were just stealing the resources of the country and I showed empirically in my statistical analysis that we are not consuming the amount of fuel they claim we consume.”

“If you approach a dentist to remove a painful tooth, he will apply a local anesthetic to numb the area around the tooth so you do not feel pain. It’s not the same thing as pulling the tooth forcefully, the pain you feel will be different.”

“For me, I will go with the approach of the dentist while supporting the removal of the tooth because I wouldn’t want to go through the pain of forceful removal.”

“If you read my manifesto you will see clearly how I planned to remove the subsidy. I will govern with the people and show them statistically and empirically what we are getting and how we are deploying it.”

“The problem in Nigeria is that when people say let’s go and suffer, let’s go and sacrifice, they don’t see the results of their suffering and their sacrifice.”