Yakubu Dogara, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has stated that President Bola Tinubu is not accountable for the removal of the petroleum subsidy. Dogara explained that while Tinubu announced the subsidy’s removal during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, he did not implement the policy.
In an interview on Channels TV on September 27, 2024, Dogara noted that the subsidy policy was in place prior to Tinubu’s election and that the approved budget by the National Assembly did not include provisions for subsidy payments. He dismissed claims that Tinubu suspended the subsidy, stating, “There was no provision for it, and anybody who told you he suspended it was just joking.”
Dogara further criticized Nigerians for focusing on problems without offering solutions. He urged the public to accept the reality of the subsidy removal, emphasizing that the previous administration did not allocate funds for it in the 2023 budget, limiting Tinubu’s options to address the situation.