ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu has ruled out any return to petrol subsidy, invoking the biblical account of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to defend his administration’s decision despite mounting economic hardship and opposition calls for a reversal.
The president said those promising to restore the subsidy were advocating a retreat from a policy his government had already implemented.
“I listen to my political opponents promising the return of subsidy. I remember my scripture studies in either the Bible or the Holy Quran. When Moses left Egypt, they faced the challenge, the Red Sea parted and gave way. You cannot ask Moses to go back to Egypt,” Tinubu said.
He spoke on Monday while hosting members of the City Boys Movement at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, declaring that “fuel subsidy is gone” in a move that immediately altered the country’s petroleum pricing regime.
The decision ended the longstanding arrangement under which the Federal Government bore part of the cost of petrol to keep pump prices below market levels. However, the removal triggered sharp increases in petrol prices, transportation fares and the cost of goods and services, intensifying pressure on households and businesses.
The government has consistently defended the policy, arguing that subsidy payments placed an unsustainable burden on public finances and consumed resources that could otherwise be channelled into infrastructure, healthcare, education and other public services.
However, the policy remains a major point of contention in the country’s economic and political debate, with critics questioning whether the savings have translated into sufficient relief for Nigerians struggling with the rising cost of living.
Tinubu’s latest remarks reinforce his administration’s position that reversing the policy is not an option, despite persistent demands for measures to cushion its effects on citizens.
The president’s biblical analogy also brings the subsidy debate into sharper focus ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with opposition figures making the policy a key issue in their criticism of his administration.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, one of Tinubu’s major political challengers, has opposed the subsidy removal and pledged to restore it if elected president.
The disagreement reflects a broader divide over how Nigeria should manage the cost of petrol, protect public finances and address the economic consequences of higher energy prices.
While the Tinubu administration maintains that subsidy removal is necessary for fiscal sustainability, opponents argue that the government must do more to protect Nigerians from the policy’s effects.
