Subsidy removal: Tinubu kept plan secret to prevent persuasion — Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that President Bola Tinubu deliberately kept plans for fuel subsidy removal secret to avoid being persuaded otherwise, The Punch reports. Speaking during an Eid-el-Kabir courtesy visit by governors in Lagos, Shettima said the policy was a calculated decision that never appeared in the President’s inaugural speech.

According to him, Tinubu believed that openly stating it would have triggered resistance and pressure to abandon the reform. He described the move as a bold act of leadership and “courage for difficult decisions.” The Vice President also defended the administration’s economic reforms, saying Nigeria required structural surgery, not gradual fixes. Shettima added that the reforms were necessary to reposition the economy and secure long-term stability despite short-term pain experienced nationwide currently.