Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu deliberately kept his decision to remove fuel subsidy secret before assuming office to avoid pressure from those who might have tried to dissuade him.
Shettima spoke on Friday when governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress paid an Eid-el-Kabir visit to the president in Lagos.
The vice-president said Tinubu assumed office at a difficult period in Nigeria’s history and chose to confront longstanding economic challenges instead of postponing them.
“You did not come to power at the season of ease,” Shettima said.
“You came at a time when the house required more than a painter. It required a builder with the courage to examine the foundation.”
He said Tinubu inherited a country facing difficult choices and opted for bold reforms.
“You chose not to postpone the surgery. You chose not to massage the wound,” he said.
“You chose to confront the contradictions that had held this country hostage for 50 years.”
THE MOST COURAGEOUS DECISION
Shettima described the removal of fuel subsidy as one of the president’s most courageous decisions.
“The withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, you kept it as a top secret,” he said.
“It wasn’t part of your speech. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
According to the vice-president, Tinubu had resolved to remove the subsidy before taking office but deliberately kept the plan private.
“You had made that decision but kept it close to your heart because you believed that if you had incorporated it into your speech, some people would try to persuade you not to do so,” he said.
“That is the courage of leadership. That is the audacity of hope. That is the effrontery to see into the future.”
Shettima said Tinubu’s reforms have helped stabilise the country and strengthened the capacity of state governments.
“I know that every governor gathered here today is grateful,” he said.
“They are grateful not only because your reforms have expanded their allocations and strengthened their capacity to deliver, but because you have given them a stable political family.”
The vice-president also praised Tinubu’s handling of regional and international affairs, saying Nigeria has remained stable despite challenges across West Africa.
“You have spoken for democracy without sounding imperial,” he said.
“You have defended constitutional order without abandoning diplomacy.”
Shettima prayed for divine strength and good health for the president, expressing hope that the sacrifices associated with the reforms would yield long-term benefits for Nigerians.
“May he make the pain of today the harvest of tomorrow,” he said.
“May he make your reforms the foundation upon which a stronger Nigeria shall rise.”
